Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)

TAXONOMY AND NAMING

Class : Chondrichthyes
Subclass : Elasmobranchii
Order : Rhinopristiformes
Family : Pristidae
Genus/species : Pristis
Common names :
English : Smalltooth sawfish
Spanish : Pez sierra peine
French : Poisson-scie tident

Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)© Sun International Resorts, Inc

ANATOMY AND MORPHOLOGY

The Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pristis) is a large ray species. The maximum reported size of smalltooth Sawfish is 5.54 m TL, although it has been estimated up to 7.6 m TL. It has a relatively narrow rostrum ("saw") with 20–32 teeth on each side.

DISTRIBUTION AND LIFE HISTORY

The life history of smalltooth sawfish, like many elasmobranchs, is characterized by slow growth, late maturity, and low fecundity, which generally contributes to a low intrinsic rate of increase. To reproduce, eggs are hatched inside the mother’s ovaries and nourished from the yolk only.

Smalltooth sawfish are mostly found in coastal marine and estuarine brackish waters. It prefers water less than 8 m (26 ft) deep, but adults are occasionally seen offshore at depths of up to 122 m (400 ft).[6] During periods with increased salinity, juveniles have been seen far up rivers.[6] This species is mostly found in places with soft bottoms such as mud or sand, but may also occur over hard rocky bottoms or at coral reefs.[7] They are often found in areas with mangrove or seagrass.[1] The lower water temperature limit is 16–18 °C (61–64 °F).[8]

Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) geographic range©IUCN red list

THREATS

A productivity-susceptibility analysis shows the five species of the family Pristidae are the most threatened elasmobranchs in the world, as a result of their high exposure to coastal shallow-water fisheries and their sow life history and large body size.

Sawfish are highly sought after for the curio trade in their distinctive rostrum, their large fins are valuable for shark fin soup in Asia and in the past their meat has been actively traded. Their slow growth rate and the late maturation makes all sawfish vulnerable to over exploitation. In addition, the shallow coastal, brackish and freshwater habitats of sawfishes are often associated with high levels of human activity, which may result in degradation or loss of habitat through pollution, prey depletion, and coastal or riverine developments, including mangrove clearance, canal development and construction of seawalls.

ABUNDANCE AND CONSERVATION STATUS

All subpopulations of the species have undergone significant population declines and the species is now apparently extirpated from large areas of its former range in the Western Atlantic due to unsustainable fishing pressure and habitat destruction.

The IUCN Shark Specialist Group has placed all sawfishes at the top of the list of most threatened elasmobranch families and the smalltooth sawfish has been assessed as critically endangered in the latest red list assessment.

PROTECTION STATUS

Worldwide measures are being taken to prevent further depletion and help the species to recover. National protections for Smalltooth Sawfish have been adopted in the United States. Outside US waters, Nicaragua imposed a permanent ban on targeted sawfish fishing in Lake Nicaragua and the take of all sawfishes is banned in Mexico. In 2014 the IUCN Shark Specialist Group together with its partners published a Global Strategy for the conservation of sawfish.

SPAW Protocol  : yes since 2017 _ Annex II

CITES : yes_ Annex I

International Plans of Actions for Conservation and Management of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks)  : yes since 1999

CMS : yes

Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks (MoU) : yes _ Annex I since 2014

US Endangered Species Act : yes since 2003

Prohibited species list of the TAC & Quota regulation os the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy : yes

Bibliography

Carlson, J. ; Wiley, T. & Smith, K. (2013). "Pristis pectinata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013 : e.T18175A43398238.
Compagno et Last 1999
Dulvy et al. (2014)
Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Pristis pectinata" in FishBase. April 2006 version
Last ; White ; de Carvalho ; Séret ; Stehmann & Naylor (2016). Rays of the World. CSIRO. pp. 59–66. ISBN 9780643109148.
Seitz, J.C. & G.R. Poulakis (2002). "Recent occurrence of the smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata (Elasmobranchiomorphi : Pristidae), in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, with comments on sawfish ecology". Florida Scientist. 65 (4) : 256–266. JSTOR 24321140
Whitty, J. ; N. Phillips & R. Scharfer. "Pristis pectinata (Latham, 1794)". Sawfish Conservation Society. Retrieved 17 November 2017.