sirenian
- noun
- /sɪˈrɪniən/
- Specialized
:
sirénido
- Researchers studied the sirenian population to learn more about their behaviors and habitats in coastal waters.
- sirenian (manatees)
Examples
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It may look something like a cetaceanbut this is a sirenian.
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Molecular studies have shown that hyraxes, elephants, and sirenians (manatees and dugongs) are derived from a common ancestor.
Academic text (2009) -
The manatee is the largest living sirenian, known for its gentle nature and herbivorous diet.
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As a sirenian, the dugong primarily feeds on seagrass, making it an integral part of the marine ecosystem.
Synonyms
1
4.8
A large sea animal like a manatee that eats plants and moves slowly
A large water mammal with flippers that eats plants, like a manatee
Compounds
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word sirenian comes from siren, the old Greek name for a legend of a 'sea-woman' or mermaid, because sailors long ago sometimes thought manatees and dugongs looked like mermaids. So sirenian now names the large, plant-eating sea mammals such as manatees and dugongs.