Etheridge, Kay

1 publication

Etheridge, Kay; Rathbun, Galen B.; Powell, James Arthur, Jr.; Kochman, Howard I. (detail)
1985Consumption of aquatic plants by the West Indian manatee.
Jour. Aquatic Plant Manage. 23(1): 21-25. 6 tabs.
—Feeding experiments (using Hydrilla and Vallisneria) and measurements of chewing rates in wild and captive Florida manatees indicated that adults can eat about 7.1% of body weight per day in wet weight of Hydrilla in 5 hours of chewing time. At this rate the manatees wintering at Crystal River fall short of controlling the growth of Hydrilla there by at least an order of magnitude, and manatees in general appear inefficient and impractical as a means of aquatic weed control.