Sawfish
Sawfishes, also known as
carpenter sharks, are a family of rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged so as to resemble a saw. Several species of sawfishes can grow to about 7 m. The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied. The
Pristidae are the only living family within the order
Pristiformes, whose name comes from the Ancient Greek: πρίστης
prístēs “saw, sawyer”. Sawfishes should not be confused with sawsharks, which have a similar appearance. All species of sawfishes are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and face the threat of extinction as a result of habitat loss and overfishing. Global populations of every species of sawfishes are estimated to have fallen to less than 10% of their historic levels. The smalltooth sawfish, for example, was once widely distributed, but available data indicate the range of this species has been reduced by about 90%, and population numbers have declined dramatically, perhaps by 95% or more.