Feeding
Dugongs specialise in eating seagrasses, uprooting whole plants when they are
accessible, but feeding only on leaves when the whole plant cannot be uprooted.
Dugongs prefer to eat seagrasses that belong to the genera Halophila (Figure 16a)
and Halodule (Figure 16b). The most frequently selected species are lowest in fibre,
highest in available nitrogen and starch, and easiest to digest. Research indicates
that grazing by dugongs has the effect of encouraging the growth of seagrass
species that dugongs prefer, so it can be said that dugongs actually farm
seagrasses. Feeding dugongs leave behind identifiable grazing trails, indicating
where seagrass has been removed (Figure 17. For further information on
seagrasses see Box 2 below