GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Dugongs live in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. Steller's sea cow was found in the western North Pacific Ocean.
HABITAT
Dugongids live in coastal waters that contain sea grass. Steller's sea cow lived with macroalgae, large, plant-like algae (AL-jee) also called kelp.
DIET
Dugongs primarily feed on sea grasses that grow on the ocean's floor in shallow water. Steller's sea cow reportedly fed on the surface and was never recorded as diving. Because the sea cow was toothless, it had to crush its food between studded plates at the front of their upper and lower jaws.
SEA COWS DUGONGS AND PEOPLE
Steller's sea cow was hunted to extinction within thirty years of its discovery. Dugongs have been hunted for their meat and other body parts, and increasingly are victims of boating and fishing accidents.
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