Home›Mammals›Taxonomy›SireniaTaxaSireniaMammal OrdersReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedThe sea cows: the only fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals, with paddle-like forelimbs, no hind limbs, and a horizontally flattened tail used for slow, grazing swimming through seagrass beds and river vegetation. Sirenia includes manatees and the dugong.FactsSireniaConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsTaxonomic RankWell-attestedOrder 2Scientific NameWell-attestedSirenia 2Member Count BandWell-attestedUnder 10 Species 3Era First AppearedWell-attestedPaleogene 4DisputedMember Species/Taxa CountScholarly debate4 2Approximate described-species (or, for a genus, described-taxon) count; continually revised as species are newly described, reclassified or synonymized.ClassificationLiving or ExtinctWell-attestedYes 1SireniaFilter Results2 entriesCommon GroupAllElephants And Relatives (2)Everyday GroupAllElephants And Relatives (2)HabitatAllMarine (1)Seagrass Meadow (1)Where It LivesAllAustralia (1)Bahamas (1)Belize (1)Brazil (1)Colombia (1)Comoros (1)Costa Rica (1)Dominica (1)Eritrea (1)Guyana (1)Haiti (1)Honduras (1)Jamaica (1)Kenya (1)Madagascar (1)Mexico (1)Mozambique (1)North America (1)Panama (1)South America (1)Suriname (1)Taiwan (1)Tanzania (1)Trinidad and Tobago (1)United States (1)Venezuela (1)Conservation StatusAllVulnerable (2)DietAllHerbivore (2)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (1)Marine (2)Living or ExtinctAllYes (2)ThreatsAllPollution (1)Relationship to PeopleAllHunted or Fished (2)CITES AppendixAllAppendix I (2)NatureServe RankAllG2 Imperiled (1)EcosystemAllEverglades (1)Great Barrier Reef (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 2DugongSireniaWest Indian ManateeSireniaConnectionsChild Taxon OfMammalia, Taxa Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeParent Taxon OfDugong, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeWest Indian Manatee, Species Well-attested Source Catalogue of LifeIn the Other AtlasesFound InAfricaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Source Animal Diversity Web: SireniaGeographic Range: "Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa,"Quote, Geographic Range: "Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa,"Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa, along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and on the northern coast of Australia.AustraliaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Source Animal Diversity Web: SireniaGeographic Range: "Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa,"Quote, Geographic Range: "Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa,"Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa, along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and on the northern coast of Australia.The Atlantic OceanAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Source Animal Diversity Web: SireniaGeographic Range: "Manatees are found along tropical coastlines on"Quote, Geographic Range: "Manatees are found along tropical coastlines on"Manatees are found along tropical coastlines on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Amazon Basin.The Indian OceanAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Source Animal Diversity Web: SireniaGeographic Range: "Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa,"Quote, Geographic Range: "Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa,"Dugongs are found off of coastal eastern Africa, along the shores of the Indian Ocean, and on the northern coast of Australia.Sources1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)tier 2Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ25431, descriptionView the Source2. Catalogue of LifeSpecies 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeTaxonomic Rank: OrderScientific Name: SireniaMember Species/Taxa Count: 4View the Source3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for SireniaCatalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCountQuote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount"speciesExtantCount": 4View the Source4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for SireniaPaleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)"taxon_name": "Sirenia" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 56 ... "early_interval": "Ypresian"View the SourceWikidata: SireniaWikidata Q25431, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the SourceSirenia (Wikipedia)In Group: Afrotherian Orders, LeadQuote, In Group: Afrotherian Orders, LeadThe Sirenia ( sy-REE-nee-ə), commonly referred to as sea cows or sirenians, are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters.View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.