Manatee [SEP] parent taxon
Manatee
Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee ("Trichechus inunguis"), the West Indian manatee ("Trichechus manatus"), and the West African manatee ("Trichechus senegalensis"). They measure up to long, weigh as much as , and have paddle-like flippers. The etymology
African manatee
The African manatee ("Trichechus senegalensis"), also known as the West African manatee, is a species of manatee that is mostly herbivorous. African manatees inhabit much of the western region of Africa – from Senegal to Angola. Although not a great deal is known about this species, it is hypothesized that the African manatee is very similar to the West Indian manatee ("Trichechus manatus").
Taxonomy.
The African manatee was officially declared a species under the "Trichechus senegalensis" taxon in