How to Spot a Sawshark
Sawsharks belong to the family Pristiophoridae. There are nine different species of Sawsharks who comprise two genera, Pristiophorus and Pilotrema. All of these sharks are characterized by a long snout that resembles a saw. If you want to know how to spot a Sawshark, here's what you should look for.
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Instructions
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Know the range of Sawsharks. These sharks are found in both tropical and temperate waters. Look for them in the southwest Indian Ocean (near South Africa), the western Pacific Ocean and the western Atlantic Ocean.
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Understand the Sawshark's habitat. They typically live below 40 meters of depth, and are bottom cruisers who like to glide over mud and sand on the ocean bottoms. Sawsharks are primarily marine sharks, however, they have been found in estuaries and bays as well.
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Take note of the Sawshark's size. Sawsharks range in size from approximately 80 to 170 cm in length. The smallest Sawshark is the Bahamas Sawshark, and the largest Sawshark is the Sixgill Sawshark.
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Pay attention to the characteristic snout of the Sawshark. Their long snouts are shaped like blades or swords and are also edged with teeth that alternate in size between large and small. In addition, the snout of the Sawshark has two long barbels. These barbels hang down from the snout and are noticeable about halfway down the length of the snout.
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Observe the Sawshark's other physical features. These particular sharks have no anal fins, but they do have two dorsal fins. They also have either five or six gill slits. Sawsharks of the genus Pilotrema have 6 gill slits, and sawsharks of the genus Pristiophorus have five gill slits. These gill slits are on the side of the shark's head. Sawsharks also have a small mouth on their undersides with tiny teeth and large spiracles behind their eyes.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't confuse the Sawshark with the Sawfish. The Sawfish is larger in size than a Sawshark. In addition, Sawfish have no barbels, their teeth don't alternate in size and they don't have gill slits on their underparts.
