International Sawfish Day
It’s International Sawfish Day!
Sawfish are one of the most endangered species in the world. Today is the first annual International Sawfish Day. This special day was created to raise awareness about these incredible animals!
Did you know?
Sawfish get their names because of their rostrums, or “saws” – long, flat snouts edged with pairs of teeth which are used to locate, stun and kill prey. They have 25-29 teeth on each side of their rostrum!
Sawfish are related to rays, guitarfish, skates and sharks–instead of hard bones in their bodies, this primitive group of fishes has skeletons made of tough connective tissue called cartilage (like what's found in your nose).
With a snout that can grow longer than most people (6.5 ft./2 m), the smalltooth sawfish can reach an impressive size of up to 25 ft. (7.5 m)! To get its next meal, the sawfish will swim through a school of fish and swing its toothy snout back and forth to injure its prey.
Unfortunately, sawfish population numbers are declining rapidly. Researchers believe that smalltooth sawfish populations have declined around 95% throughout their historic range. Although there is no known way to do a census of remaining smalltooth sawfish alive today, their estimated population around U.S. waters may be around 270 to 500 or so individuals.
What threatens this unique animal? Overfishing and entanglement in nets and fishing gear, habitat loss and fin and saw collection. Sawfish need your help! Avoid souvenirs made from animals and support laws that protect our fragile environment.
If you’re ever lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these remarkable and endangered animals in the ocean, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says you should keep the animal in the water and take photos of it. If you’re fishing, cut the line as close to the hook as possible and report the encounter to the FWC and the International Sawfish Encounter Database.
Be sure to stop by Shark Encounter at SeaWorld Orlando to check out these fantastic fish!