Anoxypristis cuspidata
The narrow sawfish belongs to a group of fish called elasmobranchs that includes rays, skates, and sharks. The narrow 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 narrow sawfish is listed as endangered throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act.
Narrow sawfish are generally gray to brown on their dorsal (top) surface and lighter on their underside. They have 16-29 rostral teeth on each side of the rostrum that are unevenly dispersed, as the most posterior portion of the rostrum does not contain any rostral teeth. The rostral teeth are shorter and flatter than those of the other sawfish species.
Narrow sawfish diet has not been extensively studied but it is reported they eat fish and cuttlefish.
The narrow sawfish is considered native to at least portions of the waters of Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
World map providing approximate representation of the narrow sawfish's range.
Narrow 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 narrow sawfish can have up to 16 pups per litter. Newborn dwarf sawfish are approximately 1.5–2.5 feet long at birth. Narrow sawfish can reach sexual maturity between age 2 and 3 at lengths of 6.5–7.5 feet.
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Chondrichthyes | Order | Pristiformes | Family | Pristidae | Genus | Anoxypristis | Species | cuspidata |
|---|
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.
