Sirenian (Noun)
Meaning
Any of two families of large herbivorous aquatic mammals with paddle-shaped tails and flipper-like forelimbs and no hind limbs.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The sirenian, also known as the manatee, can be found in shallow waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
- Manatees are members of the order Sirenia, a group of large aquatic mammals commonly referred to as sirenians.
- In the waters of West Africa, the West African manatee is a type of sirenian that feeds on a variety of aquatic plants.
- The dugong, a large marine sirenian, is native to the coastal waters of Australia and Southeast Asia.
- Steller's sea cow, a now-extinct sirenian, was discovered by the German naturalist Georg Steller in the 18th century.