Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)

Scientific name: Pristis pectinata Latham, 1794

The Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is a freshwater fish of the family Pristidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 16–30°C (61–86°F).

Smalltooth sawfish care at a glance

Temperature: 16–30°C (61–86°F)

Biology

Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. Long, flat, blade-like rostrum with 24 to 32 pairs of teeth along edges; caudal fin large and oblique with no lower lobe. Dark mouse gray to blackish brown above, paler along margins of fins. White to grayish white or pale yellow below.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Pristis pectinata
Family: Pristidae (Sawfishes)
Order: Pristiformes (Sawfishes)
Class: Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length: 760
Common length: 550
Depth range: 10 m (33 ft)
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; amphidromous; depth range ? - 10 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Circumglobal. Western Atlantic: North Carolina, Bermuda and northern Gulf of Mexico to Argentina. Caribbean, rare in Bermuda. Eastern Atlantic: Gibraltar to Namibia; possibly in the Mediterranean Sea. Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Philippines. Possibly occurring in the eastern Pacific.
Conservation status (IUCN): Critically Endangered (CR)(A2bcd+3cd+4bcd)
Threat to humans: Traumatogenic
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=15)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026