The Creature Behind the Saw

Hello and welcome back to Shark’s Corner. I am your host Tammy Tiburon. I am very excited about our next presentation, The Creature Behind the Saw. Not only is the small tooth sawfish one of the many endangered species in the sea, but as this documentary will show you, they are also one of the most unique.

[Image source: http://www.elasmodiver.com/images/sawfish-ripleys-01.jpg]

According to Aldrovandi, “A practical fish employs a saw in the manner of a sawfish.” The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is one of the seas greatest mysteries. The sawfish has a shark-like body in shades of gray or brown and an elongated saw-like snout with several sets of teeth protruding from the sides. In fact, the snout or saw of the sawfish makes up over an estimated one fourth of the fishes body. Classified in the kingdom Animalia and the domain Eukarya, these fish are often found in salt waters and estuaries of rivers along the eastern and southeastern waters of the United States (1).

So how does this odd looking creature find its food? Well, I am guessing you thought it would have something to do with that saw and you are right. The smalltooth sawfish mainly eats other small fish and crustaceans. The rostrum, which is the correct term for the saw of the sawfish, has electro-sensitive pores located on it. Now, these pores come in handy because they can detect movement underneath the ocean floor. Once the sawfish detects something underneath the sand it uses its rostrum like a shovel and uncovers its next yummy meal (2).

So far, there have been no documented efforts by bioprospectors to discover any kinds of new uses pertaining to the smalltooth sawfish, but perhaps there will be efforts to do research on the electro-sensitive pores contained in the rostrum of the smalltooth sawfish.

Fisherman, pollution and even global warming are just a few of the things that are endangering the smalltooth sawfish. Global warming contributes with the melting of the ice caps and the increasing amounts of water released into the ocean. Even though the smalltooth sawfish is able to survive in not only salt water, but freshwater as well, their habitats and food supplies are being altered due to global warming. According to scientists, the change in the oceans temperature by just one degree can affect the entire sea (1).

The smalltooth sawfish is just one of many of the seas little wonders. If we learn to pitch in and take care of our Earth, perhaps we will begin to see an increase in the numbers of these magnificent creatures.


Sources:

(1) NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources. Smalltooth Sawfish. 1 Apr. 2003. 25 Feb. 2007.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/smalltoothsawfish.htm

(2) Wikipedia. Sawfish. 20 Feb. 2007. 25 Feb. 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawfish_(fish)

(3) Passarelli, Nancy. Curtis, Tobey. Florida Museum of Natural History. Smalltooth Sawfish. 2 Jun. 2006. 25 Feb. 2007.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/STSawfish/STSawfish.html

(4) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Smalltooth Sawfish. ND. 25 Feb.
2007.
http://www.sms.si.edu/irlfieldguide/images/Smalltooth%20sawfish%2004.jpg