Green Sawfish, Pristis zijsron Bleeker 1851

Other Names: Dindagubba, Green Saw-fish, Longcomb Sawfish, Narrowsnout Sawfish, Narrow-snouted Sawfish

A Green Sawfish, Pristis zijsron, in the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium. Source: Giverny / iNaturalist. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:

This large robust sawfish is critically endangered globally.

Gill openings on the underside

Teeth unevenly-spaced, commencing near base of rostrum: 24-28 pairs

Origin of dorsal fin slightly behind pelvic fin origin

Lower lobe of caudal fin very short

Greenish-brown above, underside white; fins may be slightly paler.

Green Sawfish at Onslow, Western Australia

A Green Sawfish (aka Long Comb Sawfish) on a stereo-BRUV in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Video of a Green Sawfish in the Denver Aquarium.

A Green Sawfish in the Ocean Voyager Gallery at the Georgia Aquarium, USA.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2025, Pristis zijsron in Fishes of Australia, accessed 28 Jun 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/3276

Green Sawfish, Pristis zijsron Bleeker 1851

More Info

Distribution	Widespread across northern Australia, from about Eighty Mile Beach, Western Australia, to the Cairns region, Queensland. Historically, individuals were taken as far south as Sydney, New South Wales. Elsewhere, the species occurs in the tropical Indo-west Pacific. Historically, the species was widespread in the Indo-West Pacific from southern Africa to Australia and Taiwan, including the Red Sea, Persian (Arabian) Gulf and some of the Indian Ocean islands. Green Sawfish inhabit coastal marine and estuarine waters, with juveniles in nearshore and estuarine areas, and adults occurring in deeper continental shelf waters.
Feeding	Feeds mostly on bony fishes and crustaceans, stunning and killing their prey with the saw-like rostrum.
Biology	While the lhe life history of the Green Sawfish is poorly known, significant pupping grounds occur in the southern Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Fisheries	Populations have historically been affected by inshore commercial net and trawl fisheries throughout most of the distribution range, resulting in population declines.
Conservation	The Green Sawfish has undergone severe historic and ongoing population declines in most of its range due to overfishing and habitat loss and degradation, resulting in significant range contraction. The species has historically been targeted or taken as incidental bycatch in commercial and recreational fisheries. The rostrum, with its large teeth, is easily entangled in nets, including in shark control nets. Captured sawfish are retained in many parts of the world due to the high value of their fins, rostrum and meat. Green Sawfish are fully protected in Australia.
Etymology
Species Citation	Pristis zijsron Bleeker 1851, Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië 2(3): 442. Type locality: Bandjarmasin, Borneo, Indonesia.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2025
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Green Sawfish, Pristis zijsron Bleeker 1851

References

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