Sawfish, also called carpenter sharks, are a group of large rays that have a long, flat nose with sharp teeth arranged in a saw-like pattern. These teeth help them catch food. Some sawfish can grow up to 7–7.6 meters (23–25 feet) long. They live in tropical and subtropical areas, including coastal waters, brackish estuaries, and freshwater rivers and lakes around the world. All sawfish species are critically endangered.
Sawfish should not be confused with sawsharks (order Pristiophoriformes), the extinct sclerorhynchoids (order Rajiformes), or swordfish (family Xiphiidae), which look or are named similarly but are different animals.
Sawfish reproduce slowly, and females give birth to live young. They use their saw-like nose to find and catch fish and other sea creatures. They usually do not harm humans but can cause serious injuries if they are caught or feel threatened.
People have known about sawfish for thousands of years, and they have played important roles in myths and traditions in many cultures.
Sawfish were once common, but their numbers have dropped greatly in recent decades. Today, they are only found in places like Northern Australia and Florida, United States. All five sawfish species are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are hunted for their fins, used in shark fin soup, and for other parts like teeth and the rostrum, which are used in traditional medicine. They also lose their homes due to habitat destruction.
Since 2007, sawfish have been protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which limits trade in their parts. They are also protected in countries like Australia and the United States, where accidental catches must be released, and breaking these rules can lead to heavy fines.
Taxonomy and etymology
The scientific names of the sawfish family Pristidae and its type genus Pristis come from the Ancient Greek word πρίστης, which is written in Roman letters as prístēs and means "saw" or "sawyer."
Although they look different, sawfish are a type of ray, which belongs to a group called Batoidea. The sawfish family was once thought to be the only living member of the order Pristiformes. However, recent studies have grouped it into a larger order called Rhinopristiformes, which also includes other families like those of guitarfish, wedgefish, and banjo rays. Sawfish look similar to guitarfish, but guitarfish do not have a saw-like structure, and their shared ancestor was likely similar to guitarfish.
Classifying sawfish species has been difficult and confusing for scientists. It was not until 2013 that researchers confirmed there are five living species in two genera.
The genus Anoxypristis has one living species that was once grouped with Pristis. However, these two genera are very different in appearance and genetics. Today, Pristis includes four living species divided into two groups. Three species are in the smalltooth group, and one species is in the largetooth group. Previously, three species were thought to be in the largetooth group, but research in 2013 showed that P. pristis, P. microdon, and P. perotteti are not different in appearance or genetics. Because of this, scientists now consider P. microdon and P. perotteti to be the same as P. pristis.
In addition to living sawfish, many extinct species have been discovered through fossils found on all continents. Peyeria, from the Late Cretaceous period, was once thought to be the oldest known sawfish, but it may instead be related to a different group or a younger version of another species called Onchopristis. Clear evidence of sawfish genera appeared about 60 million years ago, shortly after the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction. These include Propristis, a genus with only one known species from fossils, as well as extinct species from the genera Pristis and Anoxypristis (both of which also include living species). Historically, scientists did not separate Anoxypristis from Pristis. Other extinct genera, such as Dalpiazia, Onchopristis, Oxypristis, and Mesopristis, have sometimes been listed, but recent studies place Dalpiazia and Onchopristis in a different group called Sclerorhynchoidei, while Oxypristis and Mesopristis are now considered the same as Anoxypristis.
The extinct group Sclerorhynchoidei had long, tooth-covered snouts similar to those of sawfish and sawsharks. This trait evolved independently in different species and is called "pristification." Their closest living relatives are skates. Although they are sometimes called "sawfishes," the more accurate name for this group is "sawskates."
Appearance and anatomy
Sawfish have a dull brown, gray, green, or yellow color on their upper bodies. The exact shade can vary, and some individuals may appear nearly black. Their undersides are pale and usually white.
The most unique part of a sawfish is its saw-like rostrum, which has rows of white teeth on both sides. The rostrum is part of the skull and is made of cartilage covered by skin. Its length is usually about one-quarter to one-third of the fish’s total length, though this can differ by species, age, or sex. The rostral teeth are not true teeth but modified skin structures called dermal denticles. These teeth grow larger as the sawfish ages, and if one is lost, it is not replaced. In Pristis sawfish, teeth cover the entire rostrum, but in adult Anoxypristis sawfish, the base one-quarter of the rostrum lacks teeth (about one-sixth in juveniles). The number of teeth varies by species, ranging from 14 to 37 on each side of the rostrum. It is common for a sawfish to have slightly different tooth counts on each side, though the difference rarely exceeds three. In some species, females typically have fewer teeth than males. The teeth of Pristis sawfish are peg-shaped, while those of Anoxypristis are flat and broadly triangular. Scientists often use the rostrum’s features, along with fins, to identify species, though the rostrum alone can sometimes be enough.
Sawfish have a strong, shark-like body, a flat underside, and a flat head. Pristis sawfish have rough, sandpaper-like skin due to dermal denticles, while Anoxypristis sawfish have smoother skin. Their mouths and nostrils are located on the underside of their heads. The upper jaw has 88–128 small, blunt-edged teeth arranged in 10–12 rows, and the lower jaw has 84–176 similar teeth. These teeth resemble a cobblestone road. Sawfish have small eyes, with a spiracle behind each eye that helps draw water over the gills. Five gill slits are located on the underside of the body near the pectoral fins. This placement helps distinguish sawfish from sawsharks, which have gill slits on the sides of their necks and long barbels on their rostrums.
Sawfish have two high, distinct dorsal fins, wing-like pectoral and pelvic fins, and a tail with a large upper lobe and a smaller or absent lower lobe (larger in Anoxypristis). The position of the first dorsal fin relative to the pelvic fins helps identify species. Sawfish lack anal fins.
Like other elasmobranchs, sawfish do not have a swim bladder. Instead, they control buoyancy using a large, oil-rich liver. Their skeleton is made of cartilage. Male sawfish have small, indistinct claspers near their pelvic fins, used for mating.
The small intestines of sawfish contain a spiral-shaped structure called a spiral valve, which increases the surface area for food absorption.
Sawfish are large to very large fish, though the exact maximum size of each species is often uncertain. The smalltooth, largetooth, and green sawfish are among the world’s largest fish. They can reach about 6 meters (20 feet) in length, with some reports of individuals over 7 meters (23 feet). Maximum lengths for these three species are typically between 7 and 7.6 meters (23–25 feet). Large individuals may weigh up to 500–600 kilograms (1,102–1,323 pounds), though unconfirmed reports of much larger sizes exist, such as a 9.14-meter (30-foot) fish or one weighing 2,400 kilograms (5,300 pounds).
The dwarf sawfish and narrow sawfish are smaller, with maximum lengths of at least 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) and 3.5 meters (11.5 feet), respectively. Earlier reports suggested the dwarf sawfish only reached 1.4 meters (4.6 feet), but this is now known to be incorrect.
Distribution
Sawfish are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. In the past, they lived in the East Atlantic from Morocco to South Africa, and in the West Atlantic from New York (United States) to Uruguay, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Old records from the late 1950s show sawfish in the Mediterranean, but these were usually considered stray individuals. However, recent studies suggest the Mediterranean may have had a breeding population. In the East Pacific, they lived from Mazatlán (Mexico) to northern Peru. While the Gulf of California was sometimes included in their range, confirmed sightings in the Pacific region of Mexico are only found south of its mouth. Historically, sawfish were widespread in the western and central Indo-Pacific, ranging from South Africa to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, east and north to Korea and southern Japan, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Today, sawfish no longer live in many areas where they once were.
Sawfish mainly live in coastal marine and estuarine brackish waters, but they can adapt to different salt levels and are also found in freshwater. The largetooth sawfish, also called the freshwater sawfish, prefers freshwater the most. It has been seen as far as 1,340 km (830 mi) up the Amazon River and in Lake Nicaragua, with young staying in freshwater for their first years of life. In contrast, the smalltooth, green, and dwarf sawfish avoid pure freshwater but may move far up rivers during times of higher salinity. Some reports mention narrow sawfish far upriver, but these need more proof and may involve mistakes in identifying other sawfish species.
Sawfish are mostly found in shallow waters, usually less than 10 m (33 ft) deep, and sometimes less than 1 m (3.3 ft). Young sawfish prefer very shallow areas, such as water only 25 cm (10 in) deep. They can be found offshore but are rarely seen deeper than 100 m (330 ft). One unidentified sawfish (either a largetooth or smalltooth sawfish) was caught off Central America at a depth greater than 175 m (575 ft).
The dwarf and largetooth sawfish live in warm waters, with temperatures between 25–32 °C (77–90 °F) and 24–32 °C (75–90 °F), respectively. The green and smalltooth sawfish can also live in colder waters, with the smalltooth sawfish found in waters as cold as 16–18 °C (61–64 °F). This is shown by their historical ranges, which extended farther north and south than the strictly warm-water species. Sawfish live on the ocean floor but in captivity, the largetooth and green sawfish have been seen eating from the water surface. They often live in areas with soft bottoms like mud or sand but may also be found on rocky or coral reef areas. They are frequently seen in places with seagrass or mangrove.
Sawsharks are typically found much deeper, often below 200 m (660 ft), and when they are in shallower waters, these areas are usually colder subtropical or temperate waters compared to where sawfish live.
Behavior
Relatively little is known about how sawfish reproduce. All species give birth to live young once a year or every two years. Males usually reach sexual maturity at a younger age and smaller size than females. Sexual maturity is reached at 7–12 years in Pristis and 2–3 years in Anoxypristis. For smalltooth and green sawfish, this happens when they are 3.7–4.15 meters (12.1–13.6 feet) long. For largetooth sawfish, it happens at 2.8–3 meters (9.2–9.8 feet). Dwarf sawfish reach maturity at 2.55–2.6 meters (8.4–8.5 feet), and narrow sawfish at 2–2.25 meters (6.6–7.4 feet). This means the generation length is about 4.6 years for narrow sawfish and 14.6–17.2 years for other species.
During mating, the male uses a special organ near its pelvic fins, called a clasper, to fertilize the female’s eggs. Mating can be rough, and the sawfish may get injured from the partner’s saw. However, genetic testing shows that some smalltooth sawfish can reproduce without a male, creating offspring that are exact copies of the mother. In Florida, about 3% of smalltooth sawfish offspring are the result of this process, which may happen when females cannot find a mate.
Pregnancy lasts several months. Each litter has 1–23 young, which are 60–90 cm (2–3 feet) long at birth. The rostrum (saw) of the embryos is soft and hardens just before birth. The young’s saws have a soft cover that falls off after birth. Pupping grounds are in coastal and estuarine waters. Most young stay in these areas early in life, sometimes moving upriver if salinity increases. Largetooth sawfish young move upriver into freshwater for 3–5 years, sometimes up to 400 km (250 miles) from the sea. Smalltooth sawfish young often stay in the same area early in life. Green and dwarf sawfish young usually stay in the same region, while largetooth sawfish males move between groups, and mothers return to their birthplace to give birth.
The lifespan of sawfish is uncertain. A green sawfish lived 35 years in captivity, and a smalltooth sawfish lived over 42 years. Narrow sawfish are estimated to live about 9 years, while Pristis sawfish may live 30–50 years depending on the species.
The rostrum (saw) helps sawfish find and catch prey. Their heads and rostrums have thousands of sensory organs called ampullae of Lorenzini, which detect electric fields from other animals. These organs are most densely packed on the upper and lower sides of the rostrum. Sawfish use their rostrum to sense their surroundings near the seafloor and can detect prey from about 40 cm (16 inches) away. In murky water, they rely on electroreception instead of sight.
Sawfish eat fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Stories about them attacking large animals like whales or dolphins are now considered myths. Humans are not prey. In captivity, they are fed regularly, and some grow faster than wild sawfish.
How sawfish use their rostrum after finding prey is debated. Three main techniques have been observed: "saw in water" (swiping prey in open water), "saw on substrate" (swiping prey on the seafloor), and "pin" (pressing prey against the seafloor). The "pin" method helps sawfish swallow prey head-first, avoiding spines. Catfish spines have been found in sawfish rostra. Schools of mullets sometimes escape sawfish. Prey is usually swallowed whole, though occasionally split during capture. A 1.3-meter (4.3-foot) sawfish had a 33-cm (13-inch) catfish in its stomach.
Old stories claim sawfish dig for prey with their rostrum, but this was not observed in studies. Large sawfish often have worn rostral teeth.
Old stories describe sawfish as dangerous to humans, but these are now considered myths. Sawfish are not aggressive and only use their rostrum defensively when captured or threatened. They can cause serious injuries by thrashing their rostrum. They also use their rostrum to defend against predators like sharks. In captivity, they use their rostrum during fights over food or hierarchy.
Relationship with humans
The largetooth sawfish was one of the species officially named by Carl Linnaeus as "Squalus pristis" in his book Systema Naturae in 1758. However, people had already known about sawfish long before this, even thousands of years earlier.
Sawfish were sometimes written about in ancient times, such as in Pliny’s Natural History from 77–79 AD. The scientific name "Pristis," which Linnaeus used in 1758, was already being used earlier. For example, sawfish were described as "priste" in a book by Guillaume Rondelet in 1554 and as "pristi" in a work by Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1613. Outside Europe, sawfish were also mentioned in old Persian writings from the 13th century by Zakariya al-Qazwini.
Sawfish remains have been found in many places around the world, including the Persian Gulf, the Pacific coast of Panama, coastal Brazil, and other regions.
Sawfish have had different meanings in various cultures. The Aztecs, in what is now Mexico, often showed sawfish saws in their art, such as on the weapon of the monster Cipactli. Many sawfish saws have been found near the Templo Mayor, and some places in coastal Veracruz had names related to sawfish. In the same area, sawfish teeth were found in Mayan graves. In Oaxaca, Mexico, sawfish saws are part of dance masks used by the Huave and Zapotecs. In Panama, the Guna people believe sawfish protect people from drowning and dangerous sea creatures. They also think sawfish have powerful spirits that help humans fight supernatural enemies.
In the Bissagos Islands near West Africa, people dress as sawfish and other sea creatures during coming-of-age ceremonies. In Gambia, having more sawfish saws in a home shows someone is brave. In Senegal, the Lebu people believe sawfish saws protect their families, homes, and animals. In some areas, sawfish are seen as ancestors with magical powers. The Akan people of Ghana use sawfish as a symbol of authority. Some African languages, like Duala, have proverbs about sawfish. In some parts of Africa, sawfish are considered dangerous and supernatural, but their saws are believed to help fight disease, bad luck, and evil. Most African groups eat sawfish meat, but some, like the Fula, Serer, and Wolof, consider it taboo. In southern Nigeria, sawfish saws are used in traditional dances.
In Asia, sawfish are important symbols. Shamans use sawfish saws in ceremonies to drive away demons and disease. They are also hung over doorways to protect homes from ghosts. Sawfish images are often found in Buddhist temples in Thailand. In New Guinea’s Sepik region, people respect sawfish but also believe they punish those who break fishing rules by causing storms. In Australia, Indigenous groups like the Warnindhilyagwa say ancestral sawfish shaped the land.
European sailors once feared sawfish, thinking they could damage ships with their saws, though this is not true. Some stories say sawfish saved people, like when a ship in Italy in 1573 was saved by a sawfish that plugged a hole in the hull. A sawfish saw from this event is kept in a sanctuary in Naples.
Sawfish have been used as symbols in recent history. During World War II, sawfish were on navy ships and used by American and Nazi submarines. The German U-96 submarine, famous in Das Boot, used a sawfish as its emblem. The German military also used a sawfish in a battle badge.
In cartoons and humor, sawfish saws are often shown as tools. Examples include Vicke Viking, Fighting Fantasy: Demons of the Deep, and Terraria.
The Central Bank of West African States chose a stylized sawfish for its currency because it represents fertility and prosperity. This image comes from an Akan and Baoule bronze weight used in gold trade.
Sawfish are popular in public aquariums but need very large tanks. A study of 10 aquariums in North America and Europe showed their tanks ranged from about 1,500,000 to 24,200,000 liters. Sawfish in aquariums often help raise awareness about their conservation. In captivity, they grow faster and live longer than in the wild, though breeding them has been difficult. In 2012, four smalltooth sawfish pups were born in the Bahamas, and in 2023, three more were born in Florida. These are the only successful captive births of sawfish. Scientists are studying how to breed them, possibly using changes in water temperature, salt levels, and light.
Only four of the five sawfish species are kept in public aquariums. The most common is the largetooth sawfish. In 2014, 16 largetooth sawfish were in North America, 5 in Europe, and 13 in Australia. Green sawfish were also kept in aquariums in North America and Europe. Dwarf sawfish are only found in Japan. Smalltooth sawfish were kept in North America and Colombia.
Sawfish were once widespread, living along the coasts of 90 countries, but their numbers have dropped sharply. Today, they are among the most endangered marine fish.
Sawfish and their parts have been used for many purposes. The biggest threats today are their use in shark fin soup, traditional medicine, rostral teeth for cockfighting spurs, and saws as novelty items. Despite being rays, not sharks, sawfish have some of the most valuable fins for shark fin soup, similar to tiger, mako, blue, porbeagle, thresher, hammerhead, blacktip, sandbar, and bull sharks.