Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Pristiformes (Sawfishes) > Pristidae (Sawfishes)
Etymology: Anoxypristis: Greek, ana = up + Greek, oxy = sharp, pointed + Greek, pristis = saw (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 40 m (Ref. 9859), usually ? - 40 m (Ref. 55270). Tropical; 43°N - 18°S, 33°E - 152°E (Ref. 55270)

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 246 - 282 cm
Max length : 470 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9859)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Greyish above, pale below; fins usually pale. Body shark-like, pectoral fins distinct; head flattened, with a blade-like snout bearing 18-22 pairs of lateral teeth; blade slender, not tapering distally. Nostrils very narrow with small nasal flaps. Rostral teeth short, flattened, broadly triangular, lacking a groove along posterior margins; no teeth on basal quarter of blade. Adults with widely spaced denticles, young with naked skin.

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to New Guinea, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia (Ref. 9859). Formerly common in the Western Central Pacific, apparently declining in some areas (Ref. 47737).

Found inshore, often in river deltas and estuaries; penetration well up rivers needs confirmation (Ref. 9859). Common in sheltered bays with sandy bottoms. Feeds on small fish and cuttlefish (Ref. 9859). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Generally harmless but its saw-like snout may cause serious injury when caught: it is known thrash violently and vigorously (Ref. 9859). Caught for its flesh and liver (which is rich in oil) in some parts of Asia (Ref. 6871). Maximum lengths of up to 610 cm TL are based on unconfirmed reports (Ref. 9859).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McEachran, John | Collaborators

Mould, B., 1994. A world list of rays. The scientific nomenclature and distribution of the recent Batoidea (Batoidea, Elasmobranchii, Chondrichthyes). University of Nottingham, [UK]. 82 p.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Critically Endangered (CR) (A2bcd+3cd+4bcd)

Threat to humans

Harmless (Ref. 9859)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 1.0156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00501 (-0.19894 - 0.20895), b=3.05 (2.94 - 3.16), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.62 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (78 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Anoxypristis cuspidata (Latham, 1794)