Dugongs, a relative of the manatees, are one of only four surviving species of sirenians or sea cows. It is thought that stories about mermaids came from early sightings of dugongs. They look like a fat dolphin, but they are slow-moving creatures which feed mainly on green algae and sea grasses that grow in shallow and sheltered warm waters. Dugongs live for 70 years, but breed very slowly. Calves are produced every three to seven years and they stay with their mother for its first two years of life. They live in pairs or in groups of up to six.
