AnimalsThe dugong is a gentle sea mammal that grazes on seagrass, which is why it is called the sea cow. It has a tail shaped like a whale's. In India it is found in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, the Gulf of Kutch and around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Dugong dugon
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Herbivore (eats plants)
- Lives in
- Indian Ocean and western Pacific
- Habitat
- Warm, shallow coastal waters
- A young one is called
- calf
- A group is called
- herd
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Sirenia
- Family Dugongidae
- Genus Dugong
- Species Dugong dugon
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The dugong is listed as Vulnerable. The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.