Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "manatee" babban dabbar ruwa ne mai zagaye jiki da wutsiya maras kyau, ana samunsa a cikin ruwan dumi na Tekun Atlantika da Pacific da Tekun Caribbean. Manatees suna da tsiro kuma suna iya girma har zuwa mita 4.5 a tsayi kuma suna auna sama da 500 kg. Wani lokaci ana kiransu da shanun ruwa saboda yanayin tafiyarsu da sannu-sannu. Ana kuma san Manatees don bayyanar su daban-daban, tare da wrinkled fata, whiskers, da kananan idanu da kunnuwa. An rarraba su a matsayin masu rauni ko kuma suna cikin haɗari saboda asarar mazauninsu da farauta.