Pristiophoridae - sawsharks

There are six species in this family of sharks. Sawsharks are small, slender fish with long, flat, saw-like snouts edged with thin, sharp teeth! They have long barbels in front of their nostrils, two dorsal fins, and no anal fin.

They are found in the western Pacific, the northwestern and the southeastern Atlantic, and the western Indian oceans. In temperate regions, they are usually found in shallow water. In tropical regions they are found in deeper waters. Sawsharks eat small fish, crustaceans, and squid.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status, or there is no status data for the species.

Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US

Endangered in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Species Around the World
Location Key Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species Arctic Ocean Atlantic Ocean Indian Ocean Mediterranean/Black Sea Pacific Ocean
Sixgill Sawshark - Pliotrema warreni Longnose Sawshark - Pristiophorus cirratus Tropical Sawshark - Pristiophorus delicatus		Japanese Sawshark - Pristiophorus japonicus Southern Sawshark - Pristiophorus nudipinnis Bahamas Sawshark - Pristiophorus schroederi

Additional Information

Resource Key
Profile Photos Video Audio

Sixgill Sawshark - Pliotrema warreni
The blank sawshark is found from Mozambique to South Africa.
Source: Shark Foundation Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School