Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are
large aquatic mammals sometimes known as sea cows.
The name comes from the Spanish manatí, which itself
comes from a Carib word meaning "breast."
The Trichechidae differ from the Dugongidae in the shape
of the skull and the shape of the tail. Dugongs have a
forked tail, similar in shape to a whale's, while manatees'
tails are paddle-shaped. They are herbivores, spending
most of their time grazing in shallow waters, and can have
a mass anywhere from 500 to 1000 kg. When born baby
manatees have an average mass of 30 kg.