The sawfish is one of nature’s oddest creations and now, unfortunately, one of its rarest. They have the side profile of a shark and the mouth and gills of a ray. Oh, and a massive saw for a nose.
They’re part of the ray family as far as their genetics are concerned and there are a total of seven different species in all. Some of these sawfish species can grow up to 7 m (23 ft) in length. One southern sawfish caught weighed in at 2,455 kg (5,412 lb).
Thanks to over-fishing and habitat loss the global totals of all the species of sawfish are thought to be just 10% of what they used to be. The problem is that their saw can sell for $1,000 on the international market and if a Kenyan fisherman catches one he can pretty much retire.
As you can imagine the rostrum (nose extension) of a sawfish has been a prized trophy for millenia. Since 2007 it’s been illegal to trade in sawfish, including their massive conks. Sawfish rostra have been used as weapons in the Philippines, New Guinea, and New Zealand which makes a lot of sense. In fact in October 2012 the weapon pictured below was seized from a bloke in Western Australia who quite clearly wasn’t thinking of using it as an ornament…
The rostra are covered in pores that are minutely sensitive to electric charges. This aids them in the capture of prey as they lie motionless at the bottom of the water. The tiny pulses of electricity from the prey’s tiny muscles send out enough energy for the sawfish to detect.
Once the prey’s position has been noted the sawfish slashes away at it. This either impales the fish or stuns it enough to be devoured. The sawfish’s sensitive nose is their primary sense, they mostly dwell in murky water and as such their eyes have ceased to be tip-top.
Here’s a video of one in captivity using its nose:
Another oddity of the sawfish is found in its intestines. A portion of their small intestine has a partition shaped like a corkscrew, called a spiral valve, this helps increase nutrient absorption through an increased surface area.
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Some sawfishes live solely in the oceans, whereas some can make the transition into brackish or even fresh water (euryhaline). In general they hang out in relatively shallow, muddy water and stick close to the bottom. They are nocturnal and despite their appearance never attack humans unless provoked or surprised.
Many cultures that live in the same areas as sawfish have worked them into their myths and legends. Many Australian Aboriginal societies believe that the sawfish created rivers by gouging out the land.
The Kuna, native to the Caribbean, believe that sawfish protect humans, and help them to fight off dangerous sea critters, such as sharks or whales, or rescue people from drowning.
Native tribes in Panama think of sawfish as powerful and supernatural beings. Shaman would use their body parts for rituals. Tribes in Papua New Guinea believe that the sawfish spirits “will punish people who break fishing taboos by unleashing destructive rainstorms”.
Long live the sawfish.
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