All manatees are herbivores, they eat plants. In fact, they can eat up to 100 pounds or 10 to 15 percent of their body weight each day. Florida manatees, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, dine on manatee grass, turtle grass, and water hyacinth. Molars A feeding manatee uses its front flippers and muscular upper lips to bring plants to its mouth. Because it has not front teeth, the manatee relies on the thick, ribbed pads in the front of its mouth to help break vegetation into small, chewable pieces.
Manatees have an endless supply of molars.
A manatee may have six to seven functional molars on each side of its jaw. These grinding teeth form in the rear of the jaw and move forward. As older molars in the front become worn, they fall out and are replaced by new teeth. A female manatee or cow can give birth to a single calf every three years. The calf begins feeding on plants when it's a few weeks old, but continues to nurse from its mother for about 12 to 18 months.