The dugong is a medium-sized marine mammal, also known as the "sea cow", "sea pig" or "sea camel". It appeared in the Eocene epoch, 50 million years ago, and is still alive today. Along with the manatee, to which it is related, the dugong is part of the order Sirenia, so named because it is said that the first sailors who encountered these animals thought they were mermaids. Unlike the manatee, the dugong lives only in salt water.
The dugong has a large, cylindrical body covered with thick, smooth, dark grey skin. It can reach a length of 2.6 meters and a weight of 300 kg. The mammal's body is covered in short hairs that allow tactile sensory interpretation of its environment. These hairs are most developed around the mouth. The dugong's mouth features a large, horseshoe-shaped upper lip equipped with a very strong mobile muscle, which aids in feeding on seagrass and, occasionally, invertebrates.
