Artwork © Frontier Developments

West Indian Manatee

Trichechus manatus · Atlantic Ocean coasts of North, Central and South America

Requirements at a glance

Scientific name

Trichechus manatus

Status

Vulnerable

Biomes

Lakes and Rivers, Open Sea, Estuarine, Mangrove, Wetlands

Temperature

23–30 °C

Deep water

20 m²

Aquatic area

150 m²

Barrier

Grade 2 · 1 m

Group size

1–8 (8♂ / 8♀)

Temperament

Confident

Food / period

$539

Building the tank

This is an aquatic species, so the habitat is measured in water rather than land.

Deep water needs at least 20 m². Deep water is the volume animals actually swim through — decorative shallow water does not count toward it.

The Zoopedia also lists an aquatic area of 150 m². Build to the larger of the two figures, then add land if the species needs a haul-out.

Compatible species

None listed — keep this species on its own or in a single-species group.

Budgeting this habitat

Food runs about $539 per period. See how that compares across the roster in our food cost ranking, or start from the best starter animals if this is a first zoo.

Similar species

Aquatic

Hawksbill Turtle

Critically Endangered

100 m² water

Aquatic

Indo Pacific Leopard Shark

Endangered

36 m² water

Aquatic

Blacktip Reef Shark

Vulnerable

210 m² water

Aquatic

Giant Grouper

Data Deficient

150 m² water

Biome: Lakes and RiversOpen SeaEstuarineMangroveWetlands

Figures from the official Planet Zoo 2 Zoopedia, checked 2026-10-21; patches can change them — trust your in-game build menu if they differ. Official entry. Artwork © Frontier Developments; used here for identification.