Why is the dugong called a mermaid? Let's learn about its living habits

The dugong (rú gèn) is a marine mammal, mainly found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, and is also called the sea cow, mermaid, and so on. The dugong has become very rare due to widespread hunting by humans, which is truly a great pity. So why is the dugong called a mermaid? What are its living habits like?

1. Why is the dugong called a mermaid?

Many people wonder how a dugong, with its appearance, could have anything to do with a mermaid. The mermaids on TV and in stories are all beautiful women with long hair, the upper body of a human, and a fish's tail. In fact, if you look carefully, you will find that the dugong actually does bear some resemblance to a mermaid.

First, the dugong is fairly strong and can appear floating on the surface of the sea in what looks like a standing posture, especially when it cannot be seen clearly on the sea surface, giving people a hazy sense of beauty, just like a mermaid;

Second, the dugong's chest becomes fairly prominent when nursing, just like a woman's breasts, resembling a human body;

Third, the dugong likes to appear in places where aquatic plants are lush, because they feed on aquatic plants, and when they have lush aquatic plants on top of their heads, it looks just like human hair. If you come across a dugong that is nursing, it looks like a mother sitting there feeding her child.

Fourth, when they swim, it really feels as if a person's two legs are enclosed beneath the skin, just like a mermaid.

2. What are the dugong's living habits like?

The dugong is a very gentle marine animal that moves rather slowly. Its hearing and eyesight are not very good, and what it likes to do most ordinarily is sleep. Only after a full meal will it keep surfacing to breathe. Ordinarily it likes to dive to very deep seabeds, but it will not go to relatively cold seas, because it likes warmth, and if the water temperature is too low, it is prone to illness and death.

The dugong lives in groups. Although it goes its own way, there are also times when large groups appear, it is just that there are not many of them left now. The dugong often hides itself in places where seagrass is lush. It is rather timid and shy, and if it is startled, it will immediately flee that place.

The dugong likes to eat the plants that grow on the seabed. It often eats the roots, stems, and leaves of these marine plants, algae, and so on. It generally does not bite off the seagrass with its front teeth, but instead uses its large flippers to grab and break it off before eating. There is no fixed time for the dugong to eat; it will eat food at night or during the day, but if it is a place with a lot of human activity, then it comes to forage late at night. It spends most of its time eating, because the amount of food it needs in a day is fairly large.

The dugong's call is very sharp, with a persistent sound, just like the sea cow.

Through our article, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of the question of why the dugong is called a mermaid and what its living habits are like, and I hope it is helpful to you.