Pointed sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) is a saltwater, freshwater, brackish species recorded in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia. It is found at depths of 0–40 m.
Scientific name: Anoxypristis cuspidata · Water: Saltwater, Freshwater, Brackish
Size: up to 470 cm
The pointed sawfish is a pristid found inshore, often in river deltas and estuaries, and it is common in sheltered sandy bays; reports of it penetrating well up rivers need confirmation. It is a more active swimmer than other sawfishes, and feeds on small fishes, cuttlefish and small bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as prawns. It is ovoviviparous and the most fecund sawfish, reported to mature at two to three years with litters of about twelve. It is generally harmless, but its saw-like snout can cause serious injury: it is known to thrash violently when caught, so care is needed landing one. In parts of Asia it is caught for its flesh and for its oil-rich liver. It ranges across the Indo-West Pacific from the Red Sea to eastern Australia and north to Japan, from the surface to about 40 m, and reaches a recorded maximum of about 470 cm total length. IUCN lists it as critically endangered, and it is on CITES and CMS Appendix I; FishBase also notes unconfirmed reports of 610 cm. It supports commercial fisheries and is a game fish, in the medium price band, with a trophic level of 4.5, very high fishing vulnerability at 81 of 100, and low resilience.
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