SAWFISH FAQ’s

What is a sawfish?

A sawfish is a cartilaginous fish that belongs to the ray family. It has a dorsally-flattened body, with a long “tooth”-lined rostrum or saw, where it gets its name from.

Is a sawfish a shark or ray?

Sawfish are a shark like ray, meaning while they may have a body shape that looks more similar to a shark, they are a type of ray and more closely related to a stingray than a great white shark. You can tell a ray from a shark, by the location of the gills. Rays have their gills under their body, where sharks have them on the side of their heads.

What is the difference between a sawshark and a sawfish?

Sawsharks are very similar in appearance to sawfish, and like sawfish have a rostrum. However, sawsharks are a type of shark and has its gills on the side of its head, unlike sawfish, which are a type of ray that has its gills on its ventral surface (under its body). The sawsharks also do not get as big as most sawfish and have barbels near the midpoint of their rostrum.

How many species of sawfish exist today?

There are 5 species of sawfish alive today. These include the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), which is found in the Atlantic Ocean, the green sawfish, narrow or knifetooth sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata), and dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata), which are found in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, and the largetooth or freshwater sawfish (Pristis pristis), which is found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

How big do sawfish get?

The dwarf and narrow sawfish are the two smallest species, and likely only grow to 3 or 4 m in length. The smalltooth sawfish grows to 5 to 6 m in length. The green sawfish can obtain lengths of over 6 m. The largetooth sawfish grows to at least 7 m.

How does a sawfish use its rostrum?

The rostrum, or ‘saw’, is used to detect and capture prey. The rostrum has a high concentration of ampullae of Lorenzini, which are used to detect weak electric currents given off by moving fish. It can use this sensory system to detect nearby fish in dark murky water. It will then swipe at the detected to prey to knock-out the fish, making them easier to eat.

The rostrum is also used to protect the sawfish from predators like sharks and crocodiles.

Do the teeth on the rostrum grow back if they fall out?

The ‘teeth’ of a sawfish rostrum are not true teeth but modified placoid scales. If a tooth is removed or broken at the base it will not regenerate. However, if the tooth is broken above the base, it will grow back.

Are sawfish endangered?

Sawfish are one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species list the green, smalltooth, and largetooth sawfish as Critically Endangered, and the dwarf and narrow sawfish as Endangered.

Where do sawfish live?

Sawfish live in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world in fresh, brackish, and marine water (depending on the species and age). Four species, the green (Pristis pristis), narrow (Anoxypristis cuspidata), dwarf (Pristis clavata), and largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) live in the Indian and West Pacific Oceans. Two species, the largetooth sawfish and smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) live in the Atlantic Ocean. Only the largetooth sawfish lives in the East Pacific Ocean.