Largetooth Sawfish
The largetooth sawfish has the largest historical range of all sawfish species, but its populations have dramatically declined worldwide. Largetooth sawfish and smalltooth sawfish are the two species of sawfish that have historically inhabited U.S. waters, though largetooth sawfish have not been found in the United States in 50 years. Both are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries must list threatened and endangered marine species regardless of where they are found.
1
Species Common Name
Weight
Unknown
Lifespan
Unknown
Length
Up to 23 feet
Threats
Habitat loss
Entanglement in fishing gear
Low population growth
Sustainable Seafood
Not Sustainable Seafood
ESA Endangered
- Throughout Its Range
CITES Appendix I
- Throughout Its Range
The largetooth sawfish was added to the candidate species list in 1988, removed in 1997, and placed back on the list again in 1999. In April 2009, we received a petition from WildEarth Guardians requesting that this species be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
We completed a status report in March 2010. On May 7, 2010, we published a proposed rule to list the species as endangered. On July 12, 2011, we published a final rule listing this species as endangered under the ESA.
In September 2010, we received a petition from WildEarth Guardians requesting that six species of sawfishes be listed under the ESA.
On June 4, 2013, we proposed to list the species as endangered. This proposed rule accepted recently proposed taxonomic changes to the sawfishes that has resulted in the largetooth sawfish known as P. pristisbeing revised to include the species formerly known as P. microdon and P. perotetti. On December 12, 2014, we listed the largetooth sawfish under the ESA.
Pristis pristis
Animalia
Chordata
Chondrichthyes
Pristiformes
Pristidae
pristis
Pristis
Species Status
ESA Endangered
CITES Appendix I
Group Profile
0
Species Profile Type
Protected