Largetooth Sawfish

Largetooth Sawfish

Pristis pristis

Largetooth sawfish illustration

Protected Status

ESA Endangered
Throughout Its Range
CITES Appendix I
Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Weight
Unknown
Lifespan
Unknown
Length
Up to 23 feet
Threats
Habitat loss, Entanglement in fishing gear, Low population growth
Location
Southeast
See Regulatory Actions
Largetooth sawfish swimming.

About the Species

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.

ESA Endangered

  • Throughout Its Range

CITES Appendix I

  • Throughout Its Range

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Pristiformes
Family Pristidae
Genus Pristis
Species pristis

Management Overview

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.

Regulatory Actions & Documents

Listing 5 Species of Foreign Sawfish Under the ESA

We, NOAA Fisheries, issue this final rule implementing our determination that the narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata), dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata), largetooth sawfish (collectively Pristis pristis; formerly Pristis pristis, Pristis...
Final Rule
,
National
Southeast
Effective

Documents

Document

Status Review of the Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis perotteti)

This status review summarizes the biological information gathered for an Endangered Species Act (ESA)...

National
More Documents