Sawfish

About the Sawfish

Their elongated snout (rostrum) is edged with teeth used to slash through schools of fish. The rostrum is also packed with electroreceptors for detecting buried prey. All 5 species are critically endangered - the most threatened group of marine fishes. They can grow to 7 meters. They are rays, not sharks. Their rostral teeth grow continuously. They were once common in the Mediterranean but are now locally extinct there. They are killed for their rostrums which are sold as curios. They can give birth to 20+ pups. They live in shallow coastal waters and estuaries.