Unique qualities of the Manatee
- Each lung in the manatee's body has its own cavity. This means it has two hemi-diaphrams, instead of one like most mammals.
- One inhalation and exhalation of a manatee's lungs exchanges about 90% of the air in their lungs, which is a lot compared to only 10% for humans.
- Lungs are located at the top of the body, always dorsal to the heart, and are so long they extend almost the length of the entire animal. This aids the manatee's buoyancy, especially in sharp turns.
- A manatee's thyroid can be triggered to produce lower levels of hormone, either when the animal is hungry or has been holding its breath for a long time. This means that they use less oxygen to energize their metabolism, and more to power their muscles and brain (3).