Morphology
Size - Manatees average about 10ft in length, although some can reach up to 13ft. The average adult weighs approximately 800 to 1200 lbs. Females are generally larger than males.
Body Shape - Manatees have a streamlined body. Their bodies are full around the middle and gradually narrows to a maddle-shaped tail.
Manatee Diagram
Pectoral Flippers - Manatees have two pectoral flippers which are used for stearing. These flippers are very flexible and are also used to bring food to its mouth. Some species have three or four fingernales, much like the toenails on elephants.
Tail - Manatees lack hind limbs. Instead they've developed paddle-like tail which propels the manatee through the water in an up and down motion.
Manatee scratching his face.
Coloration - Manatees are a greyish-brown color. Because they move so slow, organisms like algea tend to grow on the backs of manatees in order to receive direct sunlight.
The coloration of the manatees.
Head - Manatees lack external ear flaps, instead they have a small opening to the ear canal. They have two nostrils at the end of the snout which allows for easy breathing. Manatees have between 24 and 32 molars in the back of their mouth. When the front molars become worn down by the plants it eats, new molars grow in the back of its mouth and move forward. This allows for new teeth as older teeth wear down.
Manatee skull
Sexual Dimorphism - While female manatees tend to be larger than male manatees, it is gernerally difficult to distinquish between the sexes without looking at its underside. Therefore there is no sexual dimorphism.