Sawfish are large rays with a long, flat snout edged with teeth. Once common in tropical coastal waters around the world, they are now among the most threatened fish on Earth.
Interesting facts
- Sawfish are rays, not sharks.
- The ‘teeth’ on the saw are modified scales called rostral denticles.
- Pups are born with their saws covered in a soft sheath, protecting the mother.
- Sawfish are thought to have disappeared from about 20 countries.
- Some species travel far up rivers, including in northern Australia.
- Their saws easily get tangled in fishing nets, a major cause of decline.
Behaviour
Sawfish rest on the bottom in shallow water and hunt by sweeping their saws through schools of fish or digging in mud for prey.
Breeding and young
Females give birth to live pups, often in shallow nursery areas such as mangrove estuaries.
Threats and conservation
Entanglement in fishing nets, loss of mangroves and estuaries, and trade in saws and fins.
Where to see it
- Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades (smalltooth sawfish)
- Rivers of northern Australia, such as the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley
- Public aquariums with conservation programmes
- Report sightings to conservation projects
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
