Largetooth sawfish (Pristis microdon)

Scientific name: Pristis microdon Latham, 1794

Largetooth sawfish (Pristis microdon)

The Largetooth sawfish (Pristis microdon) is a freshwater fish of the family Pristidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 24–26°C (75–79°F).

Largetooth sawfish care at a glance

Temperature
24–26°C (75–79°F)

Biology

Inhabits sandy or muddy bottoms of shallow coastal waters, estuaries, river mouths, and freshwater rivers and lakes. Usually found in turbid channels of large rivers over soft mud bottoms. Adults usually found in estuaries and young ascend into fresh water. Large adults can also be found in fresh water, but are rarely caught. Feeds on benthic animals and small schooling species. Ovoviviparous. The saw is used for grubbing and attacking prey as well as for defense. The saws sell as tourist souvenirs. Occasionally caught by demersal tangle net and trawl fisheries in the Arafura Sea; possibly extinct in parts of the Indo-Pacific; highly susceptible to gill nets. Utilized for its fins and meat (both of very high value), and skin and cartilage.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Pristis microdon
Family
Pristidae (Sawfishes)
Order
Pristiformes (Sawfishes)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
700
Common length
500
Depth range
0–10 m (0–33 ft)
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; amphidromous; depth range 0 - 10 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to New Guinea, north to the Philippines and Viet Nam, south to Australia. Also Atlantic and eastern Pacific if Pristis perotteti and Pristis zephyreus are synonymized with this species. The original description of Pristis microdon did not give a locality, but most authors have used the name Pristis microdon for the Indo-West Pacific sawfishes of this species group as contrasted from the Atlantic Pristis perotteti and the eastern Pacific Pristis zephyreus.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Critically Endangered (CR) (A2abcd+3cd+4bcd)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=10; tmax=30; Fec=1)

Sources

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

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