Group Representatives
West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
Scientists have divided the West Indian Manatee into two sub-species known as the Florida Manatee and the Antillean Manatee basedon morphological and genetic studies. Florida Manatees mainly inhabit the southeastern portion of the United States while the Antillean Manatee mainly populate coastlines throughout the Caribbean.
Amazonian Manatee
Trichechus inunguis
This species of a manatee, unlike its cousins, is only known live within
the Amazon River Basin and it's tributaries in South America. It never
ventures out into the salt water which makes it unique amongst other sirenians.
Also the Amazonian manatee is the smallest member of the Trichechidae family.
This particularly species is under a more eminate threat of extinction because
their simply isn't enough funding in the Amazon River area to protect them.
West African Manatees
Trichechus senegalensis
This species of manatee is the least studied of all manatees due to the political unrest in Africa and lack of funds. Many scientists believe the West African Manatee to be very similar in size and appearance to the West Indian Manatee. Because there is so little study of this species of manatee, very little photographs are available
Dugong
Dugong dugon
Dugongs mainly live in the coatal marine zones in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Unlike manatees, Dugongs never venture into fresh water. Scientists believe that they are more closely related to the, now extinct, Stellar Sea Cow. It is quite easy to distinquish between Manatees and Dugongs, for Dugongs have a whale like fluke, whereas manatees have a more rounded fluke.