Pristis

A fascinating group of rays, known as sawfishes, named for their long, flat snouts lined with sharp teeth, resembles a giant saw. These unusual fish belong to the family Pristidae. They can be found in both saltwater and freshwater habitats, particularly in shallow coastal areas, estuaries, rivers, and mangroves of tropical and subtropical regions. Their saw-like snouts, called rostra, are their most iconic feature and can make up nearly one-third of their body length. Sawfishes use these incredible tools for defense and hunting—slashing through schools of fish to stun or injure prey before eating them.

Unlike sharks, which they often resemble at first glance, sawfishes are actually rays, with their gills located on the underside of their bodies. They have flattened bodies and large pectoral fins, which help them glide close to the seabed. Different species within Pristis can be distinguished by the length of the rostrum and the number of teeth along its sides, which range from 14 to more than 30 per side. Some well-known species include the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata), largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis), and the green sawfish (Pristis zijsron). The largetooth sawfish is especially remarkable because it can live in both saltwater and freshwater, traveling far up rivers and even reaching inland lakes.

The rostrum of Pristis is packed with sensory organs that detect the tiny electric fields emitted by prey. This gives sawfish an extraordinary ability to hunt in murky waters where visibility is low. Their bodies can grow to enormous sizes, with some species reaching lengths of over 7 meters (23 feet), making them among the largest rays in the world. Despite their size and fierce appearance, sawfishes are generally shy and pose little threat to humans, though their rostra can cause injury if they feel threatened.