The fish Pristis pectinata
The sawfish is a species of fish belonging to the family Pristidae. The male can reach a maximum length of 640 cm, although the average is 550 cm.
It has a flattened body and wing-shaped pectoral fins.
The mouth is located laterally and the eyes dorsally.
The common sawfish is one of five sawfish species that have a saw-shaped snout called a rosette.
This species formerly swam in warm waters around the world, showing itself to many cultures. Due mainly to fishing, this species is now critically endangered.
The common sawfish kills its prey by dismemberment: it moves its rostra back and forth like a real saw.
It also uses this weapon when it encounters the few predators it has, such as sharks or saltwater crocodiles.
The common sawfish can tolerate a range of salinities or salt levels. Because of this versatility, they have historically been found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, wherever the waters are warm.
They can be found anywhere from freshwater rivers to salty coasts. They are usually estuarine areas, places where rivers are directly connected to the ocean. Sawfish usually live in rivers when they are young and then, as they mature, they move to the sea.
Sawfishes are protected in 19 countries. Cross-border trade in all sawfish species is prohibited by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
