Pristis zijsron
Green sawfish - Photo: NOAA Fisheries
Green sawfish - Photo: NOAA Fisheries
The green sawfish belongs to a group of fish—called elasmobranchs—that includes rays, skates, and sharks. The green sawfish is one of five species of sawfishes. Although sawfishes have shark-like bodies, they are actually a type of ray. They are named after their "saws" (rostra)—long, flat snouts edged with teeth. The green sawfish is listed as endangered throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act.
Green sawfish are generally greenish-brown to olive on their dorsal (top) surface and white on their underside. They have 23-34 rostral teeth on each side of the rostrum. The gap between rostral teeth increases posteriorly along the rostrum with the largest gaps closest to the body. It closely resembles the smalltooth sawfish, though it is found in a different part of the world.
Many islands within the Indo-Pacific region contain suitable habitat for sawfish, but few records are available, possibly due to the lack of surveys or data reporting. There is some evidence from the Persian Gulf and Red Sea (e.g., Sudan) of small but extant populations (A. Moore, RSK Environment Ltd., pers. comm. to IUCN, 2012). Green sawfish are currently found primarily along the northern coast of Australia, but all sawfish species have undergone significant declines in Australian waters. The southern extent of the range of green sawfishes in Australia has contracted (Harry et al., 2011). Green sawfish have been reported as far south as Sydney, New South Wales, but are rarely found as far south as Townsville, Queensland (Porteous, 2004).
World map providing approximate representation of the green sawfish's range.
Green sawfish are "yolk-sac viviparous"—their young are attached to yolk sacs that nourish the embryo inside the mother's body and emerge as fully developed pups. The pups are born with their saw fully developed, but it is very flexible and sheathed to avoid injuring the mother at birth (the sheath dissolves quickly thereafter). A mother green sawfish can have up to 12 pups per litter. Newborn sawfish are approximately 2.5–3 feet long at birth. Green sawfish reach sexual maturity around 9 years of age and lengths of 11 feet.
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Chondrichthyes | Order | Pristiformes | Family | Pristidae | Genus | Pristis | Species | zijsron |
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Tonya Wiley of Havenworth Coastal Conservation, Adam Brame of NOAA Fisheries, and Rachel Scharer of the Florida Wildlife Research Institute host the International Sawfish Day exhibit at the South Florida Museum in Bradenton, Florida.
