It is a close relative of the Manatee. Being the only herbivorous mammal today, it has several striking features similar to mermaids- fish like tail, brownish smooth skin, mammary glands, woman like genitalia and even it's suckling baby. In other areas of the archipelago, dugongs are known to be extinct.
Dugongs can live for over seventy years.
Both males and females becomes sexually mature by age nine to ten years. Gestation period for dugongs however, lasts for thirteen months giving birth to only one calf. It will take another three to five years before the dugong can reproduce again. Dugong meat is considered a delicacy, and is said to be tastier than beef. These defenseless creatures were hunted through fish nets, dynamites and spears.