---
title: Dugong (Dugongidae)
scientific_name: Dugongidae
common_name: Dugong
rank: Family
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T20:54:37.907Z
tags: Dugong, Dugongidae, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/mammals/dugong
---

# Dugong (*Dugongidae*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Family
- **Scientific name:** Dugongidae
- **Body shape:** Torpedo - Streamlined and muscular, built for open-water speed - jacks, tunas, barracudas.
- **Species listed here:** 1

## How to recognise this group

- large torpedo-shaped body
- wide horizontal tail fluke
- two paddle-like front fins
- downward-pointing snout

Dugongs are large, herbivorous marine mammals with a robust, fusiform body and paddle-like forelimbs. Unlike their manatee relatives, they possess a horizontal fluked tail, similar to dolphins. Adults reach up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) in length and weigh as much as 420 kg (925 lb). Their thick skin ranges from grey to brownish-grey dorsally, becoming paler on the underside. The common name "dugong" derives from the Malay word 'duyung', meaning 'lady of the sea'.

Dugongs inhabit shallow, sheltered coastal waters and bays, primarily over seagrass meadows, typically remaining at depths under 10 meters (33 ft). They are strict herbivores, grazing on seagrass by uprooting rhizomes with a bristly, downward-pointing snout. Individuals or small groups move slowly and are generally shy, making observations rare in the Red Sea.


## Species (1)

- [Dugong dugon (Dugong dugon)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/mammals/dugong/dugong-dugon)

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*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/mammals/dugong)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*