Their body is covered with sparse hairs and their muzzles with stiff whiskers. Sexes are distinguished by the position of the genital openings and presence or absence of mammary glands. Manatees will consume any aquatic vegetation available to them and sometimes even shoreline vegetation. Although primarily herbivorous, they will occasionally feed on fish. Manatees may spend about 5 hours a day feeding, and may consume 4 to 9 percent of their body weight a day.
Births occur during all months of the year with a slight drop during winter months.
Manatee cows usually bear a single calf, but 1.5 percent of births are twins. Calves reach sexual maturity at 3 to 6 years of age. Mature females may give birth every 2 to 5 years. The only long-term, stable bond between manatees is that between a cow and her calf. Weaning generally occurs between 9 and 24 months of age, although a cow and calf may continue to associate with each other for several more years.