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Photograph of the Largetooth Sawfish

Largetooth Sawfish

Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Critically Endangered
© Andy Murch
Maximum length
3 m

Meet the Largetooth Sawfish

The Largetooth Sawfish is characterised by its long, flat snout lined with numerous teeth, resembling a saw.

What they eat
Benthic crustaceans and other invertebrates.

How big do they get?

Largetooth Sawfish · 3 m
Human diver · 1.8 m
The Largetooth Sawfish grows to around 3 m at most: the bars compare its maximum recorded length with a diver.

Where they live

Map of the known distribution of the Largetooth Sawfish
Known distribution

Distribution

Atlantic Ocean from West Africa to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. It also extends into the Indo-Pacific.

Habitat

Shallow coastal waters in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions.

In the wild

  • A diver photographing sharks in open water
    Recorded on a Shark Trust survey dive
  • An angel shark resting on the seabed
    Resting on a sandy seabed
  • A clownose ray swimming over the seabed
    Cruising close to the sea floor
  • A group of rays gliding through shallow water
    In the shallows at dusk
  • A Port Jackson shark on a reef
    Sheltering on the reef

Go deeper

Conservation status

Critically Endangered Global Critically Endangered Europe Critically Endangered Mediterranean

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