Largetooth Sawfish (Freshwater Sawfish), Pristis pristis (Linnaeus 1758)
A Freshwater Sawfish, Pristis pristis, in the Daly River, Northern Territory. Source: Richard Pillans. License: All rights reserved
The largest freshwater fish in Australia, found in marine, estuarine and freshwater habitats in northern Australia - up to 400 kilometres inland. The species has previously been referred to as Pristis microdon. The species is protected throughout Australia.
Identifying features: Gill openings on the underside; rostrum with a relatively broad base; rostral teeth evenly-spaced, extnding almost to rostral base; origin of first dorsal fin well before origin pelvic fins; lower lobe of caudal fin small, distinct, less than half length of upper lobe; yellowish to dark-brown above, underside white; outer fin margins yellowish-brown.
Video of the rescue of Freshwater Sawfish (aka Largetooth Sawfish) - Traditional Owners help scientists rescue critically endangered sawfish from a drying waterhole in the Daly River catchment, Northern Territory.
Video of Cairns Marine collecting juvenile Largetooth Sawfish in the Gulf of Carpentaria for conservation and display in public aquaria.
Largetooth Sawfish (Freshwater Sawfish), Pristis pristis (Linnaeus 1758)
More Info
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Distribution |
Historically widespread in marine, estuarine and freshwater waters of the Eastern Atlantic, Western Atlantic, Eastern Pacific and Indo-West Pacific - with 4 genetically distinct populations. The Freshwater Sawfish is now extinct or severely depleted in numbers in much of its former range. In Australia, the species occurs throughout the northern Australian coastline from the Kimberley region, Western Australia, through to the Lakefield National Park, eastern Queensland, with a single vagrant record from Cape Naturaliste in southwestern Western Australia in 2007 (Phillips 2012). In the Fitzroy River system of northern Western Australia, the species has been recorded far inland, more than 400 km from the sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in tropical waters across the Western Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, Eastern Atlantic, and the Indo-West Pacific. The Freshwater Sawfish is a euryhaline species, able to move through salinity gradients. It inhabits inshore coastal waters, estuaries, river mouths lagoons, and large rivers. Juveniles occur in freshwater and estuarine habitats, and upon maturation, occur in estuarine and coastal waters. |
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Features |
Body elongate shark-like; snout highly modified into a flattened blade-like structure with 18-23 pairs of enlarged lateral tooth-like denticles (rostral teeth); rostral teeth slender with a groove along their posterior margins; teeth start near rostral base and are evenly spaced; rostrum broad, not tapering distally; five gill slits situated ventrally on the head; nostrils broad with large nasal flaps; barbels are absent; numerous very small, rounded-oval teeth in pavement pattern forming bands along jaws. Covered by small tooth-like dermal denticles. Two tall, pointed dorsal fins, first originating well forward of pelvic fin origin; pelvic fin origin closer to level of first dorsal fin insertion than to its origin; pectoral fins distinctly detached from head with broad bases, broadly triangular; caudal fin with distinct lower lobe, posterior margin of caudal fin concave. |
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Size |
To a maximum total length (TL) of 700 cm, usually to 250 cm TL. Pups are born at 70-90 cm TL. |
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Colour |
Yellowish to greyish, brown or olive above, white on the underside; outer fin margins yellowish brown. |
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Feeding |
The top and underside of the saw-like snout or rostrum is covered in thousands of electrosensory ampullae of Lorenzini and several major branches of the motion sensory lateral line. These electroreceptors enable the sawfish to detect the weak electric fields of prey such as as molluscs, crustaceans and slow-moving fishes living on the bottom and in the water column. Once prey is detected, the sawfish sweeps its rostrum sideways to stun its prey. Sawfish - pups and small juveniles - are preyed upon by Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), estuarine crocodiles and the Australian freshwater crocodile. |
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Biology |
Males and females both mature at 300 cm TL. Reproduction is aplacental viviparous with litter sizes of 1–20, with a size-at-birth of 72–90 cm TL. Female age-at-maturity is 9 years and maximum age is 36 years. Pups migrate upstream and spend their first 4-5 years in freshwater river systems . When approaching maturity, subadults migrate back downstream to coastal waters, and mature at about 7 years of age. Individuals may live to about 40 years of age. |
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Fisheries |
Although protected and not targeted commercially throughout Australia, Freshwater Sawfish are taken as incidental bycatch in gillnet and trawl fisheries in northern Australian. |
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Conservation |
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered CITES Listed: Appendix I EPBC Act Australia: Vulnerable Northern Territory: Vulnerable Western Australia: Near Threatened Protected throughout Australia. The species has suffered populations declines throughout its range worldwide, and is locally extinct in some areas.It is characterised by extreme and continued vulnerability to fisheries (evidenced by serious declines in virtually all known populations), compounded by habitat loss and degradation over most of its range. Remaining populations are now small, fragmented. |
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Remarks |
The species comprises four distinct subpopulations: Western Atlantic, Eastern Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Indo-West Pacific. Tropical northern Australia is considered one of the last viable population strongholds in the Indo-West Pacific for Largetooth Sawfish. |
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Species Citation |
Squalus pristis Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae Tom.1 X: 235. Type locality: Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean & western Atlantic. |
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Author |
Gomon, M.F. & Bray, D.J. 2024 |
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Resources |
Largetooth Sawfish (Freshwater Sawfish), Pristis pristis (Linnaeus 1758)
References
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Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. (as Pristis microdon)
Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. (as Pristis microdon)
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