Knifetooth sawfish

Narrow sawfish
Temporal range: 56–0 Ma Eocene to Present[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rhinopristiformes
Family: Pristidae
Genus: Anoxypristis
E. I. White and Moy-Thomas, 1941
Species:
A. cuspidata
Binomial name
Anoxypristis cuspidata
(Latham, 1794)
Synonyms[4]
  • Pristis cuspidata Latham, 1794
  • Anoxypristis cuspidate (Latham, 1794)
  • Squalus semisagittatus Shaw, 1804

The narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata), also known as the pointed sawfish or knifetooth sawfish, is a species of sawfish in the family Pristidae, part of the Batoidea, a superorder of cartilaginous fish that include the rays and skates. Sawfish display a circumglobal distribution in warm marine and freshwater habitats. Their extant biodiversity is limited to five species belonging to two genera (Pristis and Anoxypristis). The sawfishes are characterised by the long, narrow, flattened rostrum or extension on their snout. This is lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged in a way that resembles the teeth of a saw and are used for killing prey. It is found in the shallow coastal waters and estuaries of the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from the Persian Gulf to southern Japan, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. It is the only living member of the genus Anoxypristis, but was previously included in the genus Pristis. Compared to Pristis, Anoxypristis has a narrower rostral saw with numerous teeth on the distal part and no teeth on the basal one-quarter (toothless section about one-sixth in juveniles).[5] It reaches a length of up to 3.5 m (11 ft).[6]

In addition to the living Anoxypristis cuspidata, this genus includes a few extinct species that are only known from fossil remains.[7][8]

  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  2. ^ Haque, A.B.; Charles, R.; D'Anastasi, B.; Dulvy, N.K.; Faria, V.; Fordham, S.; Grant, M.I.; Harry, A.V.; Jabado, R.W.; Lear, K.O.; Morgan, D.L.; Tanna, A.; Wakhida, Y.; Wueringer, B.E. (2023). "Anoxypristis cuspidata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T39389A58304073. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T39389A58304073.en. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  4. ^ "Anoxypristis cuspidata (Latham, 1794)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Endangered Listing of Five Species of Sawfish Under the Endangered Species Act". Federal Register. 2014-12-12. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  6. ^ "Anoxypristis cuspidata". Florida Museum. 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  7. ^ Wueringer, Barbara E.; Squire, Lyle; Collin, Shaun P. (2009-03-19). "The biology of extinct and extant sawfish (Batoidea: Sclerorhynchidae and Pristidae)". Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries. 19 (4): 445. Bibcode:2009RFBF...19..445W. doi:10.1007/s11160-009-9112-7. ISSN 1573-5184. S2CID 3352391.
  8. ^ "Fossilsawfish.com". Fossilsawfish.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.