Definitions for sirenian
saɪˈri ni ənsire·ni·an

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sea cow, sirenian mammal, sireniannoun

   any of two families of large herbivorous aquatic mammals with paddle-shaped tails and flipper-like forelimbs and no hind limbs

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sireniannoun

   Any of a group of aquatic, herbivorous mammals, of the order Sirenia, including the manatees and dugong.

2. Etymology: From Scientific Sirenia.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. sirenian

   The Sirenia (), commonly referred to as sea cows or sirenians, are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. The extant Sirenia comprise two distinct families: Dugongidae (the dugong and the now extinct Steller's sea cow) and Trichechidae (manatees, namely the Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee, and West African manatee) with a total of four species. The Protosirenidae (Eocene sirenians) and Prorastomidae (terrestrial sirenians) families are extinct. Sirenians are classified in the clade Paenungulata, alongside the elephants and the hyraxes, and evolved in the Eocene 50 million years ago (mya). The Dugongidae diverged from the Trichechidae in the late Eocene or early Oligocene (30–35 mya).Sirenians grow to between 2.5 and 4 metres (8.2 and 13.1 feet) in length and 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds) in weight. The recently extinct Steller's sea cow was the largest known sirenian to have lived, reaching lengths of 10 metres (33 feet) and weights of 5 to 10 tonnes (5.5 to 11.0 short tons).Sirenians have a large, fusiform body to reduce drag through the water and heavy bones that act as ballast to counteract the buoyancy of their blubber. They have a thin layer of blubber and consequently are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, which cause migrations when water temperatures dip too low. Sirenians are slow-moving, typically coasting at 8 kilometres per hour (5.0 miles per hour), but they can reach 24 kilometres per hour (15 miles per hour) in short bursts. They use their strong lips to pull out seagrasses, consuming 10–15% of their body weight per day. While breathing, sirenians hold just their nostrils above the surface, sometimes standing on their tails to do so. They typically inhabit warm, shallow, coastal waters, or rivers. They are mainly herbivorous, but have been known to consume animals such as birds and jellyfish. Males typically mate with more than one female and may gather in leks to mate. Sirenians are K-selected, displaying parental care. The meat, oil, bones, and skins are commercially valuable. Mortality is often caused by direct hunting by humans or other human-induced causes, such as habitat destruction, entanglement in fishing gear, and watercraft collisions. Steller's sea cow was driven to extinction due to overhunting in 1768.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sireniannoun

   any species of Sirenia

Matched Categories

1. • Aquatic Mammal

How to pronounce sirenian?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say sirenian in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of sirenian in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of sirenian in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=sirenian
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sirenian
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirenian
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sirenian