Species: Pristis pectinata, Smalltooth Sawfish
Pristis pectinata Latham, 1794
Smalltooth Sawfish
Body depressed at front, shark-like; head, pectorals and front of body in a large diamond shaped disc, ending in an elongate, flattened snout equipped with a row of 22-29 large, flattened teeth along each side; eyes and spiracles on top of head; mouth wide, underneath; gills under head; 2 large, shark-like, widely separated dorsal fins, origin of first dorsal fin over pelvic fin origin; pectorals triangular, attached to rear of head; no anal fin; tail large, stout, fin broad, with no lower lobe; body covered with flat denticles.
Dark grey to golden brown, whitish on ventral surface.
Grows to about 554 cm and estimated weight of ~400 kg.
Inhabits shallow bays and estuaries, also entering rivers.
Depth: 0-88 m.
North Carolina to Argentina.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Soft bottom only
- Beach
- Estuary
- Freshwater
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Live birth
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Critically endangered
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Appendix I
- Listed
- Length Max
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- 554
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 88
