OBSERVATIONS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE DUGONG (DUGONG DUGON MULLER, 1776) FROM WATERS OF THE LEASE ISLANDS, EASTERN INDONESIA

Authors
DEIONGH HH BIERHUIZEN B VANORDEN B
Citation
Hh. Deiongh et al., OBSERVATIONS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE DUGONG (DUGONG DUGON MULLER, 1776) FROM WATERS OF THE LEASE ISLANDS, EASTERN INDONESIA, Bijdragen tot de dierkunde, 67(1), 1997, pp. 71-77
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Zoology
Journal title
Bijdragen tot de dierkunde → ACNP
ISSN journal
00678546
Volume
67
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
71 - 77
Database
ISI
SICI code
0067-8546(1997)67:1<71:OOTBOT>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
A small population of dugongs was discovered in coastal waters of the Lease islands in eastern Indonesia. Studies on behaviour and feeding e cology revealed information on the interaction with seagrass meadows, modes of surfacing and submergence times and behaviour in the presence of scuba divers. Regular concentrated feeding was observed in a grazi ng sward at a subtidal monospecific Halophila ovalis meadow, confirmin g earlier observations of regular recropping by dugongs of grazing swa rds, covered by monospecific Halodule uninervis, inside an intertidal multi-species meadow.