Manatees

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Q 1.
	Have manatees ever been born in captivity?
Q 2.
	I thought I saw a manatee in a freshwater stream near Miami. Is this possible? On another occasion I saw some baby manatees, and I wonder how many young are in a litter?
Q 3.
	I read in the December 5th, 1955, edition of “Time” magazine about Eugenie the Dugong. This article said that this sea mammal has a habit of holding its head and shoulders clear of the water while suckling its young, thus perhaps giving rise to the ancient seamen stories about mermaids. Is there any other marine animal which could be the source of the mermaid myth?
Q 4.
	What is the sea animal which has given rise to the legends and myths about mermaids?
Q 5.
	Is the sea cow extinct? Have any recent studies on this marine mammal been published?
Q 6.
	Does the Florida manatee feed entirely on aquatic vegetation? Is it found in any of the other Gulf coast states?
Q 7.
	During a Jacques-Yves Cousteau television program, it was said that manatees are native to Florida. I recall reading that manatees were brought to Florida from South America to clear the water hyacinths from canals. Which is correct?
Q 8.
	Were manatees ever caught commercially in Florida?
Q 9.
	I have heard of research and experimentation being done using the bones of the sea cow to assist in bone grafts in human beings. Can you comment on this?
Q 10.
	Is it true that sea cows are good to eat? Do they have a fishy flavor? What kind of food do they eat?
Q 11.
	Please advise me as to where wild manatees may be found in Florida during the summer months. Since I plan to do some research on these creatures this summer, I would like to know specific locations.
Q 12.
	Can you tell me the location of the Blue Springs recreation area mentioned in Sea Secrets, Vol. 18, No. 3?
Q 13.
	In Everglades National Park, I recently noticed several manatees, including a female with a young calf, that seemed to be abnormally bloated. Is there an explanation for this?
Q 14.
	What are the differences in physical characters and in geographical ranges of the manatee and dugong?
Q 15.
	During a television program on manatees, it was stated that these animals are native to Florida. I recall reading that manatees were introduced to Florida from South America to clear the canals of water hyacinths. Which is correct?
Q 16.
	I have heard that manatees continually lose teeth and replace them with new ones. Is this true?
Q 17.
	When my brother was fishing the freshwater tanks on his boat at Cape Canaveral Marina, we noticed these two manatees beside the boat in an area where water was running overboard through a scupper. My sister-in-law then held a hose over the side, and both manatees opened their mouths to let the water run in. They stayed, nose to nose, under the running water for more than 15 minutes. They were obviously sharing the fresh water because neither made any attempt to push the other away. Have you had other reports of such behavior?


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	Q&A 1.	Have manatees ever been born in captivity?
	Yes. At least two births among captive manatees (Trichechus manatus) have occurred in Florida in recent years. One if these occurred in August, 1946, in a saltwater pool at the “Theatre of the Sea” on Windley Key, south of Tavernier in the Florida Keys. It was reported that the birth occurred in very shallow water and that the mother supported the baby on her back, immersing it for successively longer periods of time until it learned to rise to the surface for air of its own accord. Within the last few years, there have been several births at the Miami Seaquarium.
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	Q&A 2.	I thought I saw a manatee in a freshwater stream near Miami. Is this possible? On another occasion I saw some baby manatees, and I wonder how many young are in a litter?
	According to Dr. Joe Moore, biologist for the Everglades National Park, manatees are often seen in fresh water. At least one manatee has been held in captivity in fresh water, and this one did very well as far as the water was concerned, however, no shelter was provided to protect it from the sun, and it nearly died from a severe case of sun burn. Manatees usually have one calf, although a manatee was seen recently in Coral Gables deep water with two calves. Dr. Moore believes this is unusual and no other cases have been reported. The manatee has been seen since, and it may have possibly adopted the second calf.
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	Q&A 3.	I read in the December 5th, 1955, edition of “Time” magazine about Eugenie the Dugong. This article said that this sea mammal has a habit of holding its head and shoulders clear of the water while suckling its young, thus perhaps giving rise to the ancient seamen stories about mermaids. Is there any other marine animal which could be the source of the mermaid myth? New York City, New York
	The mermaid, half-maiden, half-fish, represents a particularly tenacious myth, which still persists among ignorant people at the present day. In certain cases dugongs, sea lions and the sea cow or manatee of south Florida, Central and South America and west Africa, with their somewhat human heads and fish-like bodies, have been taken for mermaids, but the persistence of the belief is due partly to the dried specimens brought home by travelers in Africa and Asia. On examination these are found to consist of the head and shoulders of a monkey cleverly united by wire to the tail-end of a fish (often the Nile Perch). These are manufactured in some numbers by the Egyptians and Chinese, who sell them at a handsome profit to credulous tourists, together with documents purporting to be signed by witnesses of the capture of these creatures in the sea.
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	Q&A 4.	What is the sea animal which has given rise to the legends and myths about mermaids? Ybor City, Florida
	Probably the best of several theories which have been proposed as explanations of the mermaid myths involves the manatees of the tropical western Atlantic and west coast of Africa and the dugong from Oriental and Australian shores. The manatee is a large marine mammal which lives in shallow bays in some areas along tropical American coasts. From a distance, a manatee might be confused with a swimming human, although all similarity disappears at close range. The body of the manatee is covered with fine wrinkles and is hairless except for the strong bristles which cover the two cleft lobes of the upper lip. The body ends in a broad, shovel-like, horizontal tail with rounded edges. The dugong is very like the manatee except that the tail is forked. The mermaid stories became prevalent in Europe about the time of the early Portugese explorations along the West African Coast and it is supposed that they were based on sightings of these animals in the shallow bays which the ships visited.
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	Q&A 5.	Is the sea cow extinct? Have any recent studies on this marine mammal been published? Oahu, Hawaii
	The sea cow or manatee is not extinct. Before a severe winter, it was not uncommon in South Florida waters. Apparently many died that year, but while the manatee has become less common its existence does not appear threatened. For one thing, the manatee is rigidly protected by law in Florida. For recent literature on the sea cow, you might consult Biological Abstracts or Zoological Records under the sections on Mammals-Sirenia for listings of current works. These journals should be available in most university and college libraries.
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	Q&A 6.	Does the Florida manatee feed entirely on aquatic vegetation? Is it found in any of the other Gulf coast states? Wilmington, North Carolina
	In all probability the Florida manatee feeds exclusively on succulent land and water plants, primarily the latter. The manatee is found in shallow salt or brackish waters in Florida, where it is rigidly protected by law, in the states around the Gulf of Mexico, in the West Indies, in northern South America, and possibly in other regions. More detailed information on this mammal may be found in E. L. Palmer's Field Book of Natural History (McGraw-Hill, 1949) and in Joseph C. Moore's article, "The Status of the Manatee in the Everglades National Park, with Notes on its Natural History," which appeared in Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 32. No. 1 (February, 1952).
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	Q&A 7.	During a Jacques-Yves Cousteau television program, it was said that manatees are native to Florida. I recall reading that manatees were brought to Florida from South America to clear the water hyacinths from canals. Which is correct? Huntington Beach, California
	Manatees are native to the southeastern United States, the West Indies, northern South America, and western Africa. Although the West Indies manatee Trichechus manatus manatus, the Florida manatee T. manatus latirostris, and the African manatee T. senegalensis are marine mammals, they are found in rivers as well as coastal waters. They generally are not found far inland, however, and do not venture in the open sea. Another species in this genus, the Amazonian manatee T. inunguis, is generally found in fresh water.
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	Q&A 8.	Were manatees ever caught commercially in Florida? Naples, Florida
	Manatees formerly were abundant along the coasts of southern Florida. Many of these animals were killed every year by the Seminole Indians who hunted them in canoes. When the animals came to the surface to breathe the Indians would harpoon them. They were fond of the flesh which is said to resemble course beef. Any quantity of meat above their needs was sold to the early white settlers. This might be considered as being a commercial enterprise.
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	Q&A 9.	I have heard of research and experimentation being done using the bones of the sea cow to assist in bone grafts in human beings. Can you comment on this? Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
	It is true that some years ago there was a project underway to investigate the possibility of using manatee bones for orthopedic surgery and repair. However, the absence of a source of supply of such bone caused the abandonment of the project. Scientists at the Institute of Marine Science, University of Miami, indicate that they are not aware of any such research being done anywhere at the present time. They also indicate that there is nothing in the biological similarity of the two beings that would lead to the belief that such efforts would be more successful than with the bones of other mammals.
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	Q&A 10.	Is it true that sea cows are good to eat? Do they have a fishy flavor? What kind of food do they eat? Sausalito, California
	The sea cows, or sirenians, include the manatees of the tropical Atlantic and the dugong of the Indo-Pacific. Because they have been hunted widely for food, sea cows are quite rare in many parts of their range. All sirenians are herbivores and they browse on shallow water plants. Their flesh is said to be much like beef. In Florida and in some other areas, the killing or harming of manatees is unlawful. For an article on the sirenians and the mermaid myth, see Sea Frontiers, Vol. 5, No. 2, May, 1959. Another article on these interesting mammals will appear in a coming issue.
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	Q&A 11.	Please advise me as to where wild manatees may be found in Florida during the summer months. Since I plan to do some research on these creatures this summer, I would like to know specific locations. Hyattsville, Maryland
	Manatees range widely in the southern counties of Florida. They are commonly seen in the waterways around Coral Gables and even occur in the rather polluted Miami River. The Biology Department at Florida Atlantic University has recently completed a research project on manatees and Commandant Jacques-Yves Cousteau is presently studying manatees at Crystal River on the west coast of Florida.
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	Q&A 12.	Can you tell me the location of the Blue Springs recreation area mentioned in Sea Secrets, Vol. 18, No. 3? Miami, Florida
	The Blue Springs Park is located near Orange City, Florida, about 30 miles north of Orlando. The nearest highways are 17-92 and Interstate 4. The Florida Department of Natural Resources is creating a state park at this site, which will be a protected area for manatees. Campers and other visitors are welcome there, but power boats are no longer allowed to enter the springs, and swimmers and divers are barred from waters in which manatees are present.
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	Q&A 13.	In Everglades National Park, I recently noticed several manatees, including a female with a young calf, that seemed to be abnormally bloated. Is there an explanation for this? Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
	According to Dr. Daniel S. Hartman, formerly of the Manatee Research Project at Crystal River, Florida, this is the first report, to his knowledge, of such a phenomenon among manatees. It is, of course, impossible to accurately diagnose the problem without capturing one of the afflicted animals. Assuming, however, that the condition is similar to that in cattle, the bloat may have resulted from ingesting bacteria that subsequently fermented in the stomach and produced froth that blocked the alimentary canal, thus preventing the escape of gas (presumably methane). Possibly, such bacteria could have been in the water or in the plants on which the manatees were feeding. Bloat would offset the neutral buoyancy of these animals and prevent them from submerging. If it is not relieved, of course, the bloat might also prove fatal.
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	Q&A 14.	What are the differences in physical characters and in geographical ranges of the manatee and dugong? Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada
	The dugong and the manatees are members of the order Sirenia, the only herbivorous group of marine mammals. There is only one living species of dugong, Dugong dugong, and there are three living species of manatee, Trichechus manatus, T. inunguis, and T. senegalensis. The dugong presently inhabits parts of the Indian and Pacific oceans and the Red Sea. It is fairly common in western Australia, New Guinea, parts of India and Ceylon, Madagascar, and the east coast of Africa from South Africa to the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea. The dugong reaches a length of 2.4 to 2.7 meters and a weight of 230 to 360 kilograms. The distinguishing physical features include a lack of nails on the pectoral flippers, small tusks in the males and some females, and a tail fluke that is notched like that of a whale. The three species of manatees grow larger than the dugong, the former attaining 2.5 to 4.5 meters in length and up to 600 kilograms in weight. Trichechus inunguis, however, is more slender than the other two species and, like the dugong, lacks the flipper nails that characterize both T. manatus and T. senegalensis. T. inunguis is commonly called the Amazonian manatee and is found throughout the Amazon Basin and possibly in the Orinoco drainage. T. manatus, the Florida or West Indian manatee, is found predominantly in Florida. T. senegalensis, the West African manatee, is found along the west coast of Africa, especially in the northwest. All sirenians are presently quite rare and, in the United States, efforts are being made to protect T. manatus, which is considered an endangered species.
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	Q&A 15.	During a television program on manatees, it was stated that these animals are native to Florida. I recall reading that manatees were introduced to Florida from South America to clear the canals of water hyacinths. Which is correct? Huntington Beach, California
	Manatees are native to the southeastern United States, particularly Florida, as well as the West Indies, Central and South America, and western Africa. They are divided into three species: Trichechus manatus, a coastal species inhabiting Florida, the West Indies, and parts of Central and South America; T. senegalensis, also a coastal species found in western Africa; and T. inunguis, a more inland species generally restricted to fresh waters of the Amazon region. The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, which became effective July 1, 1978, provides additional protection for the state's estimated 700 to 1,000 manatees over that provided by existing laws. The new act gives the Department of Natural Resources the authority to implement safeguards against injury to manatees by outboard motors. It is recommended that boatmen obtain a copy of the free leaflet Protect the Manatee which lists the areas inhabited by these mammals and in which boating speed should be reduced to "no wake." The leaflet may be obtained from the Marine Advisory Program, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, G022 McCarty Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611.
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	Q&A 16.	I have heard that manatees continually lose teeth and replace them with new ones. Is this true? Guelph, Ontario
	Yes. The teeth of manatees (Trichechus spp.) are subject to excessive wear due to gritty substances such as sand that are often eaten by these mammals along with their preferred food - sea grasses and/or freshwater vegetation. Nature has compensated for this handicap by providing manatees with disposable teeth. New teeth are continually formed in a pocket known as the alveolar bulb, which is located far back on both sides of the upper and lower jaws. As new teeth emerge from the posterior pocket and slide forward into position, the old, worn teeth are shed from the front of a manatee's mouth. As the teeth move forward, they are not only gradually ground down by grit, but eventually the roots are resorbed. Thus, when the teeth reach the tip of the jaw, they are little more than caps. This unusual tooth-replacement pattern is not found in the dugong (Dugong dugong), a close relative of the manatee. Instead, the dugong possesses permanent teeth that continually grow. As the crowns are worn down by abrasion, new material is deposited at the roots, so that, in effect, dugong teeth do not wear out.
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	Q&A 17.	When my brother was fishing the freshwater tanks on his boat at Cape Canaveral Marina, we noticed these two manatees beside the boat in an area where water was running overboard through a scupper. My sister-in-law then held a hose over the side, and both manatees opened their mouths to let the water run in. They stayed, nose to nose, under the running water for more than 15 minutes. They were obviously sharing the fresh water because neither made any attempt to push the other away. Have you had other reports of such behavior? Nassau Bay, Texas
	Yes. Manatees living in saltwater or brackish water may congregate around sources of fresh water, and boaters often report giving these animals water from hoses. Also, the cooperative behavior of the two manatees is not unusual for intelligent and social marine mammals.
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