Largetooth sawfish

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Species of cartilaginous fish

title: "Largetooth sawfish" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pristis", "pantropical-fish", "fish-described-in-1758", "euryhaline-fish-of-nicaragua", "fish-of-lake-nicaragua", "animal-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus", "esa-endangered-species", "species-that-are-or-were-threatened-by-habitat-loss", "species-that-are-or-were-threatened-by-human-consumption", "species-that-are-or-were-threatened-by-use-as-food", "species-that-are-or-were-threatened-by-being-bycatch"] description: "Species of cartilaginous fish" topic_path: "general/pristis" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largetooth_sawfish" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of cartilaginous fish ::

Pristis perotteti J. P. Müller & Henle, 1841

The largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis, syn. P. microdon and P. perotteti) is a species of sawfish in the family Pristidae. It is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, but also enters freshwater. It has declined drastically and is now critically endangered.

A range of English names have been used for the species, or populations now part of the species, including common sawfish (despite it being far from common today), wide sawfish, freshwater sawfish, river sawfish (less frequently, other sawfish species also occur in freshwater and rivers), Leichhardt's sawfish (after explorer and naturalist Ludwig Leichhardt) and northern sawfish.

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of Pristis pristis in relations to P. microdon (claimed range: Indo-West Pacific) and P. perotteti (claimed range: Atlantic and East Pacific) has historically caused considerable confusion, but evidence published in 2013 revealed that the three are conspecific, as morphological and genetic differences are lacking. As a consequence, recent authorities treat P. microdon and P. perotteti as synonyms of P. pristis.

Based on an analysis of NADH-2 genes there are three main clades of P. pristis: Atlantic, Indo-West Pacific and East Pacific.

Its scientific name Pristis (both the genus and specific name) is derived from the Greek word for saw.

Description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/The_fishes_of_India_(Plate_CXCI)_(6924477086).jpg" caption="Comparison of the largetooth sawfish (top), [[green sawfish]] (''P. zijsron''; middle) and [[knifetooth sawfish]] (''Anoxypristis cuspidata''; bottom). Notice especially the width of the saw, the teeth on the saw, the shape of the tail and [[pectoral fin]]s, and the position of the [[dorsal fin]] compared to the [[pelvic fin]]s"] ::

The largetooth sawfish possibly reaches up to 7.5 m in total length, An individual caught in 1951 at Galveston, Texas, which was documented on film but not measured, has been estimated to be of similar size. Today most individuals are far smaller and a typical length is 2-2.5 m.

The largetooth sawfish is easily recognized by the forward position of the dorsal fin with its leading edge placed clearly in front of the leading edge of the pelvic fins (when the sawfish is seen from above or the side), the relatively long pectoral fins with angular tips, and the presence of a small lower tail lobe. In all other sawfish species the leading edge of their dorsal fin is placed at, or behind, the leading edge of the pelvic fins, and all other Pristis sawfish species have shorter pectoral fins with less pointed tips and lack a distinct lower tail lobe (very small or none). The rostrum ("saw") of the largetooth sawfish has a width that is 15–25% of its length, which is relatively wide compared to the other sawfish species, and there are 14–24 equally separated teeth on each side of it. Correct tooth count refers to actual teeth and alveoli ("tooth sockets") from lost teeth.}} On average, females have shorter rostrums with fewer teeth than males. The proportional rostrum length also varies with age, with average being around 27% of the total length of the fish, but can be as high as 30% in juveniles and as low as 20–22% in adults.

Its upperparts are generally grey to yellowish-brown, often with a clear yellow tinge to the fins. Individuals in freshwater may have a reddish colour caused by blood suffusion below the skin. The underside is greyish or white.

Distribution and habitat

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Pristis_pristis_townsville.jpg" caption="A largetooth sawfish in Australia, the only country that still has a relatively healthy population of this species."] ::

The largetooth sawfish can be found worldwide in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, but it also enters freshwater and has been recorded in rivers as far as 1340 km from the sea. Its West Atlantic range was from Uruguay to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Its East Pacific range was from Peru to Mazatlán in Mexico. A parasitic flatworm, Dermopristis paradoxus, is commonly found on the skin and lining of the mouth and exclusively in Australian waters on the largetooth sawfish. The flatworm has been discovered to have a male reproductive system that lacks the copulatory organ.

Adults are primarily found in estuaries and marine waters to a depth of 25 m, and dwarf sawfish (P. clavata). Largetooth sawfish from the population in Lake Nicaragua appear to spend most, if not all, of their life in freshwater, In captivity they are known to be agile (even swimming backwards), have an unusual ability to "climb" with the use of the pectoral fins and they can jump far out of the water; a 1.8 m individual jumped to a height of 5 m. It has been suggested that this may be adaptions for traversing medium-sized waterfalls and rapids when moving upriver. They are generally found in areas with a bottom consisting of sand, mud or silt. The preferred water temperature is between 24 and(-), and 19 C or colder is lethal.

Behavior and life cycle

Sexual maturity is reached at a length of about 2.8-3 m when 7–10 years old. There are 1–13 (average 7) young in each litter, which are 72-90 cm long at birth. and this mostly involves young individuals that are up to 2 m long. Occasionally, young individuals become isolated in freshwater pools during floods and may live there for years. The potential lifespan of the largetooth sawfish is unknown, but four estimates suggested 30 years, 35 years, 44 years, and 80 years.

The largetooth sawfish is a predator that feeds on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. The "saw" can be used both to stir up the bottom to find prey and to slash at groups of fish. Sawfish are docile and harmless to humans, except when captured where they can inflict serious injuries when defending themselves with the "saw".

Conservation

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As suggested by the alternative name common sawfish, it was once plentiful, but has now declined drastically leading to it being considered a critically endangered species by the IUCN. Because of the "saw" they are particularly prone to becoming entangled in fishing nets. In the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria, sawfish (known as oki in Ijaw and neighbouring languages) are traditionally hunted for their saws, which are used in masquerades.

The largetooth sawfish has been extirpated from many regions where formerly present. Whether it survives anywhere in Southeast Asia is generally unclear, and is now threatened by the planned Nicaragua Canal. In West Africa, the Bissagos Archipelago has often been considered the last remaining stronghold, but interviews with locals indicate that sawfish now also are rare there.

All sawfish species were added to CITES Appendix I in 2007, thereby restricting international trade. Following taxonomic changes, the ESA listing was updated to P. pristis in December 2014. Sawfish are protected in Australia and the United States where a number of conservation projects have been initiated, but the largetooth sawfish has probably already been extirpated from the latter country (last confirmed record in 1961 from Nueces, Texas). Additionally it receives a level of protection in Bangladesh, Brazil, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Senegal and South Africa, but illegal fishing continues, enforcement of fishing laws is often lacking and it has already disappeared from some of these countries.

Largetooth sawfish, especially young, are sometimes eaten by crocodiles and large sharks.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Sawfish.jpg" caption="Two largetooth sawfish at the [[Shanghai Ocean Aquarium]], China"] ::

This species is the most numerous sawfish in public aquariums, but it is often listed under the synonym P. microdon.

Notes

References

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Faria, V. V.; McDavitt, M. T.; Charvet, P.; Wiley, T. R.; Simpfendorfer, C. A.; Naylor, G. J. P. (2013). ''Species delineation and global population structure of Critically Endangered sawfishes (Pristidae).'' Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 167: 136–164. [[doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00872.x]] Retrieved 26 August 2013.
Eschmeyer, W.N.. (1 November 2017). "Catalog of Fishes". [[California Academy of Sciences]].
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Whitty, J.. "Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758)". Sawfish Conservation Society.
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"Freshwater Sawfish Pristis microdon Latham, 1794 (Chondrichthyes: Pristidae) in the Kimberley region of Western Australia".
(2010). "A new genus and new species of microbothriid monogenean (Platyhelminthes) with a functionally enigmatic reproductive system, parasitic on the skin and mouth lining of the largetooth sawfish, Pristis microdon, in Australia". Acta Parasitologica.
Seitz, J.C.. (2017-05-10). "Green sawfish". Florida Museum of Natural History.
(2017). "Pristis clavata — Dwarf Sawfish, Queensland Sawfish". [[Department of the Environment and Energy]].
(2017). "Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas". Princeton University Press.
Reis-Filho. (2016). "Traditional fisher perceptions on the regional disappearance of the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis from the central coast of Brazil". Endanger Species Res.
Blench, Roger. (2006). "Archaeology, language, and the African past". AltaMira Press.
Platt, J.R.. (2 July 2013). "Last Chance for Sawfish?". Scientific American.
Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (12 July 2011). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for the Largetooth Sawfish". Federal Register.
Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (12 December 2014). "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Endangered Listing of Five Species of Sawfish Under the Endangered Species Act". Federal Register.
"Sawfish in Aquariums and the Media". Sawfish Conservation Society.

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