Pristis pectinata
Endangered
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Pristiformes (Sawfishes)
Pristidae (Sawfishes)
Pristis
Pristis pectinata (Smalltooth Sawfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Moderately depressed anteriorly, with relatively large dorsal fins and a moderately developed caudal fin. Rostrum has 24 to 32 pairs of teeth and is about 25% of TL. Rostral teeth are narrow, triangular, and have groove running along posterior margin. Upper jaw has about 88 to 128 tooth rows. Jaw teeth are dome shaped, with obtuse, transverse cutting edge. Dorsal fins are of similar shape and size. First dorsal fin originates above origin of pelvic fin. Distance between dorsal fin bases is about 1.5 times base of first dorsal fin. Distance between second dorsal fin and origin of caudal fin is slightly less than base of second dorsal fin. Length of dorsal caudal lobe is about 15% of TL. Ventral lobe of caudal fin is poorly developed. Body is uniformly and densely covered with dermal denticles.
Color is dark brownish gray to blackish dorsally and white to grayish white to pale yellow ventrally.
Distribution
Tropical to warm temperate western Atlantic from New York (rare), New Jersey (rare), northern Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Bermuda
Habitat Associations
Near shore, including bays, estuaries, and freshwater habitats with saltwater connections. Depth range not specified.
Biology
Food consists of benthic invertebrates and bony fishes. The saw is apparently used to dislodge benthic invertebrates and to disable fishes.
Maximum known size is 550 cm TL
Embryonic development is ovoviviparous. Litters range from 15 to 20 young. Females are mature at 460 cm TL, and young are 60 cm TL at birth.
Inshore and intertidal species, but may cross deep water to reach offshore islands; also ascends rivers and can tolerate fresh water (Ref. 9859). Commonly seen in bays, lagoons, estuaries, and river mouths. Also found in rivers and lakes (Ref. 12951). Feeds on fishes and shellfishes (Ref. 58784). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Gravid females reportedly carry as many as 20 embryos, which require a year of gestation (Ref. 27549). Uses its saw to stir the bottom when feeding on bottom invertebrates and to kill pelagic fishes (Ref. 9859). Utilized as a food fish; oil is used to make medicine, soap and in leather tanning (Ref. 6871). Adults stuffed for decoration (Ref. 6871). Reported to be aggressive towards sharks when kept in tanks (Ref. 12951). This species is currently protected in several areas as populations are under severe threat (Ref. 81624).
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR), assessed 2022-03-09. Resilience: Low (Fec=15).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from the other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Baughman 1943a
Bigelow and Schroeder 1953a
Hoese and Moore 1977
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Stehmann, M. and D.L. Bürkel (1984) Pristidae. p. 153-155. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen, and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. vol. 1.
Last, P.R. and J.D. Stevens (1994) Sharks and rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia. 513 p.
Bigelow, H.B. and W.C. Schroeder (1953) Sawfishes, guitarfishes, skates and rays. p. 1-514. In J. Tee-Van et al. (eds.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Part two. New Haven, Sears Found. Mar. Res., Yale Univ.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
de Carvalho, M.R., B. Séret and R.C. Schelly (2007) Pristidae. p. 148-153. In M.L.J. Stiassny, G.G. Teugels and C.D. Hopkins (eds.) The fresh and brackish water fishes of Lower Guinea, West-Central Africa. Volume I. Collection Faune et Flore tropicales 42. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, and Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgium. 800 pp.
Last, P.R., W.T. White, M.R. de Carvalho, B. Séret, M.F.W. Stehmann and G.J.P. Naylor (2016) Rays of the world. CSIRO Publishing, Comstock Publishing Associates. i-ix + 1-790.
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