The marine animal called dugong which is vulnerable to extinction is a/an
- Amphibian
- Bony fish
- Shark
- Mammal
Explanation
Option (d) is correct
- Dugong/Sea Cow is a marine mammal.
- Dugongidae Family: It is the only surviving species in the Dugongidae family. Their close relative, Steller’s Sea Cow, was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
- Physical Adaptation: Its cylindrical body, paddle-like flippers, rounded snout, and muscular upper lip are adapted for grazing on seagrass beds.
- Demographic Vulnerability: Dugongs can live up to 70 years but reproduce very slowly. Calves are born only every 3 to 7 years.
- Preferred Habitat: They thrive in warm, shallow, sheltered coastal waters less than ten meters deep. Dense seagrass beds provide food and shelter.
- Dietary Impact: An adult dugong consumes 30 to 40 kilograms of seagrass daily, which helps keep seagrass meadows healthy and prevents sediment overgrowth.
- Global Distribution: Dugongs inhabit warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with a major population in northern Australia and the Arabian Gulf.
- Indian Range: A small population is found in Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman Nicobar Islands, and Gulf of Kutch. They are extinct in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- Ecosystem Role: By grazing continuously, dugongs act as “ecosystem engineers.” They support seagrass health, help fish nurseries, and maintain the coastal food web.
- Primary Threats: Gillnet entanglement, vessel collisions, habitat loss, and illegal hunting.
- Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix I; WPA: Schedule I.
