What’s in a Name? Standardization of Vernacular Names for Trichechus manatus

Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni; Daniel González-Socoloske; Anmari Álvarez-Alemán; Jamie Aquino; Dalila Caicedo-Herrera; Delma Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez; Diane Claridge; M. Fabiola Corona-Figueroa; Adolphe O. Debrot; Benoit de Thoisy; Carlos Espinoza-Marín; Jamal A. Galves; Eddy García-Alfonso; Héctor M. Guzmán; Jalaludin Ahmad Khan; Jeremy J. Kiszka; Fabia de Oliveira Luna; Miriam Marmontel; León David Olivera-Gómez; Christine O’Sullivan; James A. Powell; Enrique Pugibet-Bobea; Indranee Roopsind; Wojtek Bachara; Carlos J. Silva

What’s in a Name? Standardization of Vernacular Names for Trichechus manatus

Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni^1,2,*, Daniel González-Socoloske³, Anmari Álvarez-Alemán^4.5, Robinson S. Jamie Aquino⁶, Dalila Caicedo-Herrera⁷, Delma Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez^5.8.9, Diane Claridge¹⁰, M. Fabiola Corona-Figueroa¹¹, Adolphe O. Debrot¹², Benoit de Thoisy¹³, Carlos Espinoza-Marín¹⁴, Jamal A. Galves¹⁵, Eddy García-Alfonso¹⁶, Héctor M. Guzmán¹⁷, Jalaludin Ahmad Khan¹⁸, Jeremy J. Kiszka¹⁹, Fabia de Oliveira Luna²⁰, Miriam Marmontel^5,21, León David Olivera-Gómez²², Christine O’Sullivan²³, James A. Powell⁴, Enrique Pugibet-Bobea²⁴, Indranee Roopsind²⁵, and Carlos J. Silva²⁶

¹Caribbean Manatee Conservation Center, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, 500 Carr. John Will Harris, Bayamon, Puerto Rico 00957, USA. ²Center for Conservation Medicine and Ecosystem Health, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334 Basseterre, St. Kitts West Indies. ³Department of Biology, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI 49104, USA. ⁴Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL 33767, USA. ⁵Sirenia Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gland, Switzerland (AAA Group Co-Chair, DNCM Mesoamerica Co-Chair, MM South America Co-Chair). ⁶Haiti Ocean Project, Petite Riviere de Nippes, Haiti. ⁷Fundación Omacha, Bogotá, Colombia. ⁸El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, CP 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México. ⁹Fundación Internacional para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad (FINS), CP 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México. ¹⁰Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation, Sandy Point, Abaco, Bahamas. ¹¹Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Ciudad de Guatemala, 01010, Guatemala. ¹²Wageningen Marine and Animal Ecology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands. ¹³Kwata NGO, Cayenne, French Guiana. ¹⁴Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica. ¹⁵Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos (LEMVA), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No 18A–10, Bogotá, Colombia. ¹⁶Refugio de Fauna Lanzanillo-Pajonal-Fragoso, Empresa Provincial para la Protección de la Flora y la Fauna, Villa Clara, Cuba. ¹⁷Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 0843‑03092 Panama City, Panama. ¹⁸Indiversity Group, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ¹⁹Institute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA. ²⁰Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação de Biodiversidade, Santos 11050-031, SP, Brazil. ²¹Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá. Tefé 69553-225, AM, Brazil. ²²División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, CP 86039, Villahermosa, Tabasco, México. ²³Environmental Sciences Division, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Technology Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica. ²⁴Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Viceministerio de Recursos Costeros y Marinos, Avenida Cayetano Germosén esq. Avenida Gregorio Luperón, Ensenche El Pedregal, Santo Domingo 11107, República Dominicana. ²⁵Bina Hill Institute, Annai Central, Region 9, Guyana. ²⁶A.C. Grupo de Guardaparques Universitarios, Barquisimeto, Estado Lara, Venezuela. *Corresponding author.

Caribbean Naturalist, No. 98 (2024)

Published 5 June 2024

Abstract
Trichechus manatus is one of 3 recognized extant species of manatees of the mammalian Order Sirenia. Currently, it is known by various vernacular names, none of which are descriptive of its biology and known distribution. This lack of standardization has led to confusion and miscommunication, hindering conservation efforts for this species. We propose standardizing the vernacular names used to refer to the species and its 2 subspecies based on appropriate geographical characterization in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese, respectively: “American Manatee”, “Manatí de las Américas”, “Lamantin d’Amérique”, “Amerikaanse Lamantijn”, and “Peixe-boi-das-Américas” for T. manatus; “Florida Manatee”, “Manatí de la Florida”, “Lamantin de Floride”, “Florida Lamantijn”, and “Peixe-boi-da-Flórida” for T. m. latirostris; and “Greater Caribbean Manatee”, “Manatí del Gran Caribe”, “Lamantin des Grandes Caraïbe”, “Groter Caribische Lamantijn”, and “Peixe-boi-do-Grande-Caribe” for T. m. manatus. By establishing clear, universally recognized, and standardized vernacular names, we foster a sense of connection and scientific communication responsibility, improving public awareness and understanding of these animals and ultimately aiding in their conservation.

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