Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is a saltwater, freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 10–88 m.
Scientific name: Pristis pectinata · Water: Saltwater, Freshwater, Brackish
Size: up to 760 cm
The smalltooth sawfish is a demersal pristid of inshore and intertidal waters that may cross deep water to reach offshore islands and also ascends rivers, tolerating fresh water; it is commonly seen in bays, lagoons, estuaries and river mouths, and it is recorded from 10 to 88 m. It feeds on fishes and shellfish, and it is ovoviviparous, gravid females reportedly carrying as many as 20 embryos that require a year of gestation. Its saw is used to stir the bottom when feeding on bottom invertebrates and to kill pelagic fishes, and the toothed rostrum can inflict serious wounds, which is why the species is recorded as traumatogenic; adults are also reported to be aggressive towards sharks when kept in tanks. Maximum length is about 760 cm total length, commonly about 550 cm. It is a minor commercial species and a gamefish, utilized as a food fish with a medium price category, and its oil is used to make medicine and soap and in leather tanning. Fishing vulnerability is very high at 84 of 100 and resilience low. IUCN lists it as critically endangered, and it is listed in CITES Appendix I and CMS Appendix I.
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