Common sawfish (Pristis pristis)

Scientific name: Pristis pristis Linnaeus, 1758

Common sawfish (Pristis pristis)

The Common sawfish (Pristis pristis) is a freshwater fish of the family Pristidae.

Biology

A euryhaline species. Inhabits inshore coastal waters to moderate depth, also around off lying islands. Found also in estuaries, lagoons, river mouths, and even freshwater. Feeds on fishes and bottom-living animals. Ovoviviparous. Apparently can reproduce in freshwater. Freshwater populations occur to about 750 km up Amazon River; populations in Lake Nicaragua may be non-migratory.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Pristis pristis
Family
Pristidae (Sawfishes)
Order
Pristiformes (Sawfishes)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
750
Common length
250
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Western Pacific: northern Australia, from Western Australia to Queensland. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California to Ecuador. Western Atlantic: Florida and Louisiana, USA to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to Angola, including the western Mediterranean.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Critically Endangered (CR) (A2abc+3cd)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax=30; Fec assumed to be

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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