Dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata)

General data

Main name: Dwarf sawfish
Local names: Queensland sawfish
Climates: Tropical
Habitat: Saltwater
Native: Asia, Australia & Oceania
Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean

Classification

Genus: Pristis - Pristis
Family: Pristidae - Sawfishes
Order: Rhinopristiformes - Shovelnose rays
Class: Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays
Superclass: Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes

Description

The dwarf sawfish has a torpedo-shaped body that resembles that of a shark, and grows to a length of about 3.2 m (10.5 ft). It has broad, triangular pectoral fins and large, upright dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin is located directly above, or slightly behind, the origins of the pelvic fins, and the caudal fin has a very small lower lobe. The snout is broad and flat and is elongated into a rostrum with around twenty pairs of rostral teeth. This fish is usually greenish-brown, or occasionally yellowish-brown, on its dorsal surface, and whitish underneath. The dwarf sawfish is native to the western and central Indo-Pacific region and historically had a much wider range than it does now. Its present confirmed range is from southern New Guinea to the tropical region of northern Australia. It typically inhabits inshore waters, estuaries, tidal mudflats and sometimes the lowest reaches of rivers.

Dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata)

General data

Classification

Description

Taxonomy of Fishes