Sawfish

ID points

• Snout extended into a long saw with teeth down each side
• Gill slits on the underside show it is a ray, not a shark
• Rear half shark-like, with the pectoral fins joined to the head

Basics

Family

Pristidae

Length

3.0–6.0 m

Depth

0-40 m

Regions

Estuary & freshwater

Distribution

Shallow tropical and subtropical coasts and estuaries

Habitat

Shallow coasts and estuaries

Diet

Small fish, crustaceans

Easily confused with

GuitarfishFront half flat like a ray, rear half stout like a sharkAngel SharkFlattened like a ray, but the gill slits open on the sides of the bodyCownose RayFront of the head is notched into two lobes, like a cow's nose

Fun fact

Both edges of the saw-like rostrum of the Sawfish are studded with electroreceptors that pick up the bioelectric fields of prey in murky water, working much like the ampullae of Lorenzini in sharks.