儒艮在中国近海的分布

儒艮Dugong dugon(Muller,1776)隶属海牛目Sirenia,儒艮科Dugongidae,俗称海牛,又称人鱼,海南岛渔民称海马。以往中国沿海产儒艮的研究甚少,只Hirasaka(1932)和寿振黄(1958)有过头骨及骨骼的描述报道,对其生态及分布方面的调查研究还没有深入的开展。1962年、1981年和1984年我们对儒艮在中国沿岸的分布进行了调查访问,并对近年所得儒艮的外形作了一些测量。现将所得资料整理报道。

DISTRIBUTION OF THE DUGONG OFF THE COAST OF CHINA

This paper reports the results of surveys on distribution of the dugong (Dugong dugon) off the coast of China. This species is found mostly along the coast of Guangxi and western Guangdong,and is also found rarely along the coasts of Dianbai and Yangjang Counties, Guangdong. They inhabit the waters off the west coast but do not migrate to the waters off eastern coast of Hainan Island, and are not found off the southeast coast of Guangdong.The northern limit of their distribution along the coast of China is at the southern part of Taiwan.We believe the Beibu Bay group and Sumatura-Malaysia group are one continued population; the Taiwan group and Molucca-Philippine group are another continued population.