Smalltooth sawfish

Appearance

The smalltooth sawfish is a cartilaginous fish that belongs to the Subclass Elasmobranchii, which also includes all others rays and sharks. This dorsally tannish-brown fish can reach a total length of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) including the saw (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). The species’ common and scientific names are derived from its long, flattened, toothed rostrum (nose or beak structure) that extends outward from its flattened head. The rostrum resembles a saw because it has 21-30 unpaired saw teeth on each side. Rostral teeth that are lost will not grow back; however, chipped teeth will continue to grow as long as the base is intact (Slaughter and Springer 1968). The mouth teeth are small and flat like other rays. The smalltooth sawfish is a type of ray, in part because the gill slits are on the bottom of the body and the pectoral fins are attached to the head.

Behavior

The diet of the smalltooth sawfish consists of a variety of bony fish and stingrays (Poulakis et al. 2017; Hancock et al. 2019). The saw is used to slash at fish. 

Females give birth in estuarine nursery areas primarily during April and May (Poulakis et al. 2011). Fertilization is internal and 7-14 embryos mature inside the mother with no placental connection (Brame et al. 2019). The female reproductive cycle is every other year and males mate every year. Smalltooth sawfish are born with fully calcified rostral teeth that are covered by a skin-like protective sheath (Poulakis et al. 2024), which prevents injuries to siblings and the mother. The sheath begins disappearing after birth and is gone after about four days. Males take seven years to mature; females mature after eight years (Kroetz et al. 2025). 

Habitat

Small juvenile smalltooth sawfish use different habitats than large juveniles and adults. Small juveniles inhabit shallow coastal areas in estuaries, river mouths, and bays year-round (Poulakis et al. 2011). They have been recorded from a variety of habitat types including unvegetated mud and sand bottoms, especially along red mangrove shorelines, which are considered “critical habitat” (Norton et al. 2012). Also, small juveniles use creeks and canals that connect to the main stem of rivers (Poulakis et al. 2011, 2016). Small juveniles typically inhabit salinities between 18 and 30 parts per thousand (PPT) (the ocean is 35), sometimes far up rivers (Simpfendorfer et al. 2011; Poulakis et al. 2013).

Adults are typically found in open water habitats from the shallows to depths of several hundred feet (up to 122 meters) (Seitz and Poulakis 2002; Poulakis and Seitz 2004; Graham et al. 2021), but have been encountered near coral reefs and occur inshore during the spring when females give birth and mating is thought to occur. Of five species of sawfish found worldwide, the only species found in Florida waters is the smalltooth sawfish. Although the historical range of this species extended from the U.S. to Brazil, currently, smalltooth sawfish are only regularly found in south Florida and the western Bahamas (Brame et al. 2019).

Threats

Historical threats have included unintentional overfishing associated with commercial fisheries, trophy fishing associated with recreational fisheries, and habitat destruction. Presently, fishing gear entanglements, especially shrimp trawls and habitat destruction are the main threats, and development along Florida’s coast has damaged mangrove forests that serve as nurseries (Seitz and Poulakis 2006; NMFS 2009a; Brame et al. 2019; Graham et al. 2021; Yakich et al. 2024). Research has shown that water temperatures below ~53°F (12°C) cause smalltooth sawfish mortalities and this observation suggests that the northern limits of its year-round range may not have extended much further north of Florida (Poulakis et al. 2011). Historical seasonal movements of adults north of Florida during the summer and back south may have been influenced by water temperatures (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953).    

Conservation and Management

The smalltooth sawfish is protected as an Endangered species by the U.S. Endangered Species Act and as a Federally-designated Endangered species by Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. In the U.S., two broad areas of juvenile Critical Habitat were designated in 2009 to help protect the remaining population (NMFS 2009b; Norton et al 2012).

Other Informative Links

FWC Research Institute

References

Bigelow, H.B., & Schroeder, W.C. (1953). ‘Fishes of the Western North Atlantic, Part 2. Sawfishes, Guitarfishes, Skates, Rays, and Chimaeroids.’ Memoir of the Sears Foundation for Marine Research. (Yale University: New Haven, CT.)

Brame, A.B., T. R. Wiley, J.K. Carlson, S.V. Fordham, R.D. Grubbs, J. Osborne, R.M. Scharer, D.M. Bethea, & G.R. Poulakis. (2019). Biology, ecology, and status of the smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the USA. Endangered Species Research 39:9-23. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00952

Graham, J., A.M. Kroetz, G.R. Poulakis, R.M. Scharer, J.K. Carlson, S. Lowerre-Barbieri, D. Morley, E.A. Reyier, & R.D. Grubbs. (2021). Large-scale space use of large juvenile and adult smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata: implications for management. Endangered Species Research 44:45–59. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01088

Hancock, T.L., G.R. Poulakis, R.M. Scharer, S.G. Tolley, & H. Urakawa. (2019). High-resolution molecular identification of smalltooth sawfish prey. Scientific Reports 9:18307. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-53931-7

Kroetz, A.M., A. Mathers, Z.A. Siders, A.K. Wooley, L.B. Heath, D.M. Yakich, R.M. Scharer, & G.R. Poulakis. (2025). Age, growth, maturity, and natural mortality of the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in Florida waters. Fishery Bulletin 123:190–206. https://doi.org/10.7755/FB.123.3.5

NMFS (United States National Marine Fisheries Service). (2009a). Recovery plan for smalltooth  sawfish (Pristis pectinata). Prepared by the Smalltooth Sawfish Recovery Team for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD.

NMFS (United States National Marine Fisheries Service). (2009b). Endangered and threatened species; critical habitat for the endangered distinct population segment of smalltooth sawfish. Federal Register 74:45353–45378.

Norton, S.L., T.R. Wiley, J.K. Carlson, A.L. Frick, G.R. Poulakis, and C.A. Simpfendorfer. (2012). Designating critical habitat for juvenile endangered smalltooth sawfish in the United States. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 4:473–480. https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2012.676606

Poulakis, G.R., & Seitz, J.C. (2004). Recent occurrence of the smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata (Elasmobranchiomorphi: Pristidae), in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, with comments on sawfish ecology. Florida Scientist 67:27–35.

Poulakis G.R., Stevens, P.W., Timmers, A.A., Wiley, T.R., & Simpfendorfer, C.A. (2011). Abiotic affinities and spatiotemporal distribution of the endangered smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata, in a south-western Florida nursery. Marine and Freshwater Research https://doi.org/10.1071/MF11008

Poulakis, G.R., P.W. Stevens, A.A. Timmers, C.J. Stafford, & C.A. Simpfendorfer. (2013). Movements of juvenile endangered smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata, in an estuarine river system: use of non-main-stem river habitats and lagged responses to freshwater inflow-related changes. Environmental Biology of Fishes 96:763–778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-012-0070-x

Poulakis, G.R., P.W. Stevens, A.A. Timmers, C.J. Stafford, D.D. Chapman, K.A. Feldheim, M.R. Heupel, & C. Curtis. (2016). Long-term site fidelity of endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) from different mothers. Fishery Bulletin 114:461–475. https://doi.org/10.7755/FB.114.4.8

Poulakis, G.R., H. Urakawa, P.W. Stevens, J.A. DeAngelo, A.A. Timmers, R.D. Grubbs, A.T. Fisk, & J.A. Olin. 2017. Sympatric elasmobranchs and fecal samples provide insight into the trophic ecology of the smalltooth sawfish. Endangered Species Research 32:491–506. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00824

Poulakis, G.R., J.T. Wyffels, P.E. Fortman, A.K. Wooley, L.B. Heath, D.M. Yakich, & P.W. Wilson. 2024. Morphology, composition, and deterioration of the embryonic rostral sheath of the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata). Fishery Bulletin 122:76–88. https://doi.org/10.7755/FB.122.3.2

Seitz, J.C., & Poulakis, G.R. (2002). Recent occurrence of sawfishes (Elasmobranchiomorphi: Pristidae) along the southwest coast of Florida (USA). Florida Scientist 65:256–266.

Seitz, J.C. & Poulakis, G.R. (2006). Anthropogenic effects on the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in the United States. Marine Pollution Bulletin 52:153-31540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.07.016

Simpfendorfer, C.A., Yeiser, B.G., Wiley, T.R., Poulakis, G.R., Stevens, P.W., & Heupel, M.R. (2011). Environmental influences on the spatial ecology of juvenile smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata): results from acoustic monitoring. PLoS ONE 6:e16918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016918

Slaughter, B.H. & Springer, S. (1968). Replacement of rostral teeth in sawfishes and sawsharks. Copeia 1968:499–506.

Yakich, D.M., A.K. Wooley, L.B. Heath, & G.R. Poulakis. (2024). Effects of marine debris and human interactions on the smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata. Marine Pollution Bulletin 206:116606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116606