Pristidae
Sawfish, commonly referred to as carpenter sharks, belong to a family of rays distinguished by their elongated, narrow, and flattened rostrum that possesses sharp, transverse teeth configured reminiscently of a saw. Ranking among the largest fish species, sawfish can attain lengths from approximately 7 to 7.6 meters (23 to 25 feet). Their habitat distribution spans tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, encompassing coastal marine environments, brackish estuarine waters, as well as freshwater rivers and lakes. All sawfish species are classified as critically endangered.
It is crucial to distinguish sawfish from sawsharks (order Pristiophoriformes) or the extinct sclerorhynchoids (order Rajiformes), which bear a superficial resemblance, as well as swordfish (family Xiphiidae), which share a similar name but display markedly different morphology.
Sawfish exhibit relatively low reproductive rates, with females giving birth to live young. Their diet typically consists of fish and invertebrates, which they locate and capture using their rostrum. Although generally non-threatening to humans, sawfish can cause significant injury when provoked, often as a defensive measure when captured.
Historically, sawfish have been recognized and hunted for millennia, holding significant cultural and mythological importance in various societies. Once prevalent, sawfish populations have dramatically diminished in recent decades, with notable remaining populations primarily in Northern 🇦🇺 Australia and 🇺🇸 Florida, 🇺🇸 United States. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rates these five species as either endangered or critically endangered. The decline is attributed to hunting for their fins (a delicacy in shark fin soup), traditional medicinal applications, and the demand for their teeth and rostrum. Additionally, habitat loss exacerbates their plight. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has imposed restrictions on international trade involving sawfish and their derivatives since 2007. Protection measures are enforced in regions such as 🇦🇺 Australia and the 🇺🇸 United States, where incidental captures require immediate release, with stringent penalties imposed for non-compliance.
The sawfish's most prominent feature, its saw-like rostrum, contains a series of white teeth (rostral teeth) along each side. This rostrum forms an extension of the chondrocranium, composed of cartilage and enveloped by skin. Depending on species, age, and sex, the rostrum's length typically constitutes about one-quarter to one-third of the fish's total length. The rostral teeth, deriving from heavily modified dermal denticles rather than traditional teeth, continue growing throughout the sawfish’s life—without replacement if lost. While Pristis sawfish have teeth along the entire rostrum, adult Anoxypristis lack teeth on the basal quarter (approximately one-sixth in juveniles). The number of rostral teeth varies by species, ranging from 14 to 37 per side, with slight asymmetry being common. In some species, females typically possess fewer teeth than males. The teeth are peg-like in Pristis and broadly triangular in Anoxypristis. Identification of species often relies on features such as fins and rostrum, although rostrum alone can sometimes suffice.
Sawfish inhabit tropical and subtropical waters globally. Historically, their range extended across the East Atlantic from Morocco to 🇿🇦 South Africa and the West Atlantic from New York (USA) to 🇺🇾 Uruguay, including the Caribbean and 🌊 Gulf of Mexico. Past reports from the Mediterranean, with last sightings in the late 1950s or shortly thereafter, suggest the presence of a breeding population, despite being previously considered vagrants. In the East Pacific, the range spanned from Mazatlán (🇲🇽 Mexico) to northern 🇵🇪 Peru, though sightings in the Gulf of 🇺🇸 California pertain to records outside its mouth. They were prevalent across the western and central Indo-Pacific, from 🇿🇦 South Africa through the 🌊 Red Sea, 🌊 Persian Gulf, North to Korea and South 🇯🇵 Japan, and extending through Southeast Asia to Papua 🇵🇬 New Guinea and 🇦🇺 Australia. In contemporary times, sawfish populations have vanished from substantial portions of their historical range.
