Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Order: Pristiformes

Family: Pristidae

Genus: Anoxypristis

Species: A. cuspidata

Description

The head of pointed sawfish is flattened. The snout is like a bkade bearing 18-22 pairs of lateral teeth. The blade like snout is 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.

Natural History

Sawfish are within the ray order Rajiformes, and are closely related to sharks. Unlike the rest of the cartilaginous fishes, sawfish have evolved a long snout edged with special teeth. The saw-like snout, called a rostrum, can be used in a back and forth swiping motion to cut prey in half or to dig through the sediment. Sawfish eat fish and crustaceans. The saw is key to catching and killing prey in addition to its use as a weapon or digging tool, the saw has small pores that can detect electric fields produced by prey. This super sense is common to sharks and rays alike.

Reference:

https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Amphibians-Reptiles-and-Fish/Sawfish.aspx

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Anoxypristis-cuspidata.html