* Grazing: They spend most of their day grazing on aquatic plants like seagrass, water hyacinths, and algae. They use their sensitive lips and bristly whiskers to feel around for food.
* Suction Feeding: They suck in the plants using their strong, fleshy lips.
* Molars: Their molars are constantly growing to compensate for the wear and tear of chewing on tough vegetation.
* Rumination: Manatees don't have a complex digestive system like cows, but they do re-chew their food (ruminate) for a second time to aid digestion.
* Large Amounts: They need to eat a huge amount of food every day – about 10% of their body weight – to sustain their large bodies.
Here's an analogy to help understand: Imagine a giant, gentle vacuum cleaner that sucks up plants instead of dirt! That's a good way to visualize a manatee's feeding process.