Telah dilakukan penelitian mengenai perilaku makan dugong di Sea World Indonesia, Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, Jakarta. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan perilaku makan dua ekor dugong (Dugong dugon) berbeda jenis kelamin dan usia. Metode yang dilakukan adalah focal animal sampling dan ad libitum sampling. Data yang diperoleh berupa persentase perilaku makan dan perilaku makan dugong. Persentase perilaku makan disuapi petugas (DP) harian dugong jantan (31,30%) tidak berbeda nyata dengan dugong betina (29,67%). Persentase perilaku makan permukaan (MP) harian dugong jantan (65,83%) lebih tinggi dibandingkan dugong betina (32,08%). Persentase perilaku makan dasar (MD) harian dugong jantan (6,23%) lebih rendah dibandingkan dugong betina (36,63%). Perilaku makan disuapi petugas dan makan permukaan merupakan adaptasi perilaku makan di penangkaran, sedangkan perilaku makan dasar merupakan perilaku alami dugong. Berdasarkan pengamatan diketahui bahwa kedua dugong terutama dugong jantan, mempunyai kemampuan adaptasi makan disuapi petugas dan makan permukaan yang baik, sedangkan dugong betina mempertahankan perilaku makan alaminya.

---

Research on dugong (Dugong dugon) feeding behaviour had been conducted in Sea World Indonesia, Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, Jakarta. This study aimed to describe the feeding behavior of two captive dugong (Dugong dugon) with different sexes and ages. The method used were focal animal sampling and ad libitum sampling. The result showed percentage of the hand-fed seagrass behaviour of male dugong (31.30%) was not significantly different from female dugong (29.67%). The percentage of the surface-fed behaviour of male dugong (65.83%) was higher than the female dugong (32.08%). Percentage of bottom-fed behaviour of male dugong (6.23%) lower than females (36.63%). Hand-fed behaviour and surface-fed are the adaptation of feeding behavior in captivity meanwhile bottom-fed is the natural feeding behavior of dugong. Based on the observation, it is known that both dugong, male dugong especially, have a good adaptation on hand-fed seagrass behaviour and feed on surface, while the female dugong maintain its natural feeding behavior.