Narrow Sawfish

Narrow Sawfish

Anoxypristis cuspidata

Narrow sawfish illustration

Protected Status

ESA Endangered - Foreign
Throughout Its Range
CITES Appendix I
Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Weight
Unknown
Lifespan
Up to 27 years
Length
Up to 15 feet
Threats
Habitat loss, Entanglement in fishing gear
Location
Foreign
See Regulatory Actions

About the Species

The narrow sawfish belongs to a group of fish called elasmobranchs that includes rays, skates, and sharks. Under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries must list threatened and endangered marine species regardless of where they are found. The narrow sawfish is listed as endangered throughout its range under the ESA.

Protected Status

ESA Endangered - Foreign

  • Throughout Its Range

CITES Appendix I

  • Throughout Its Range

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Pristiformes
Family Pristidae
Genus Anoxypristis
Species cuspidata

Management Overview

In September 2010, NOAA Fisheries received a petition from WildEarth Guardians requesting that this species be listed under the ESA. On June 4, 2013, we published a proposed rule to list the species as endangered. On December 12, 2014, we published a final rule listing the species as endangered 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,&nbsp
Final Rule
,
Foreign
Effective

More Information

Research

Narrow Sawfish

Submitted by corbin on Thu, 09/07/2017 - 08:57

The narrow sawfish belongs to a group of fish called elasmobranchs that includes rays, skates, and sharks. Under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries must list threatened and endangered marine species regardless of where they are found. The narrow sawfish is listed as endangered throughout its range under the ESA.

1
Species Common Name
Fish Protected Fish
Weight
Unknown
Lifespan
Up to 27 years
Length
Up to 15 feet
Threats
Habitat loss
Entanglement in fishing gear
Sustainable Seafood
Not Sustainable Seafood

CITES Appendix I

  • Throughout Its Range

In September 2010, NOAA Fisheries received a petition from WildEarth Guardians requesting that this species be listed under the ESA. On June 4, 2013, we published a proposed rule to list the species as endangered. On December 12, 2014, we published a final rule listing the species as endangered under the ESA.

Narrow sawfish illustration
Anoxypristis cuspidata
Animalia
Chordata
Chondrichthyes
Pristiformes
Pristidae
cuspidata
Anoxypristis
Species Status
ESA Endangered - Foreign
CITES Appendix I

ESA Endangered - Foreign

  • Throughout Its Range
Group Profile
0
Species Profile Type
Protected

Listing 5 Species of Foreign Sawfish Under the ESA

Final Rule |
Foreign

Overview

Authority
Endangered Species Act
Affected Species
Action Status
Final Rule
Effective
01/12/2015

Summary

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 microdon, and Pristis perotteti), green sawfish (Pristis zijsron), and the non-U.S. distinct population segment (DPS) of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) are endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. We also include a change in the scientific name for largetooth sawfish in this final rule to codify the taxonomic reclassification of P. perotteti to P. pristis. We are not designating critical habitat because the geographical areas occupied by the species are entirely outside U.S. jurisdiction and we have not identified any unoccupied areas within U.S. jurisdiction that are essential to the conservation of any of the five species. We have reviewed the status of the five species of sawfish, considered public and peer review comments, and conservation efforts being made to protect all five species, and we have made our determination based on the best available scientific and commercial data that all five species of sawfish—the narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata), dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata), largetooth sawfish (collectively Pristis pristis; formerly Pristis pristis, Pristis microdon, and Pristis perotteti), green sawfish (Pristis zijsron), and the non-U.S. DPS of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)—are at risk of extinction throughout all of their ranges and should be listed as endangered species.

Federal Register

Supporting Materials

Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 05/30/2019

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