Australian Sawfish Species

1. Australian Sawfish Species

2. Australian Sawfish Species • There are 4 known sawfish species in Australian Waters • Narrow sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) • Freshwater sawfish (Pristis microdon) • Green sawfish (Pristis Zijsron) • Dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata) • These species occupy niches in marine estuarine and freshwater environments

3. Narrow Sawfish Taxonomy Order - PristiformesFamily - PristidaeGenus - AnoxypristisSpecies - cuspidata Conservation status IUCN Red List - Critically endangered

4. Distribution and Habitat • Most widely distributed and abundant sawfish in Queensland waters • Favours inshore, coastal, mud and sand foreshores and bays mostly in juvenile stage • Large mature animals found offshore to depths of 40m • Rarely encountered upstream of river mouths in estuarine water • Primarily benthopelagic species

5. Description • Slender body • Green-grey dorsally (top) and pale white ventrally (bottom) • First dorsal fin behind start of pelvic fin • Rostrum does not narrow towards the tip Descriptors • 18-22 pairs of teeth not extending onto base of saw • Deep fork in caudal fin • Smooth skin Size • Attains a maximum size of 470cm Diet • Prawns, squid and fish

6. Fisheries • Commercial trawl, gill net and long line fisheries • Recreational line fishery and bait collection using small mesh cast nets and seine nets • Indigenous net and harpoon fishing • Foreign illegal gill net and line fishing Utilisation • Meat and fins • Rostrum for trophy collectors

7. Freshwater Sawfish Taxonomy Order - PristiformesFamily - PristidaeGenus - PristisSpecies - microdon ConservationStatus IUCN Red List - Critically endangered, NT fisheries - vulnerable

8. Distribution and Habitat • Inhabits rivers of Princess Charlotte Bay on the east coast and all major rivers of the Gulf of Carpentaria. • Extremely low abundances on the east coast. • Inhabits fresh and estuarine waters as juveniles and marine waters as adults • Adults inhabit inshore waters and rivers during the monsoonal wet season to pup

9. Description • Large thick bodied sawfish • Skin yellowish colour dorsally and dirty cream ventrally on bottom • Rostrum narrows towards the tip Descriptors • 18-22 pair of teeth extending onto base of saw • First dorsal fin in front of pelvic fin origin • Fork and lobe in caudal fin • Rough skin Size • Maximum reported size 700cm, commonly caught in rivers up to 250cm Diet • Prawns and fish

10. Fisheries • Commercial trawl, gill net and long line fisheries • Recreational line fishery and bait collection using small mesh cast nets and seine nets • Indigenous net and harpoon fishing • Foreign illegal gill net and line fishing Utilisation • Meat and fins • Rostrum for trophy collectors • Collection of live aquarium specimens

11. Dwarf Sawfish Taxonomy Order - PristiformesFamily - PristidaeGenus - PristisSpecies - clavata Conservation Status IUCN Red List - Critically endangered; NT - vulnerable

12. Distribution and Habitat • Very low numbers inhabit isolated regions of the northern and western Gulf of Carpentaria • Very few reports of capture in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria • Inhabits coastal foreshores and embayments mostly as juveniles and marine waters as adults • Adults frequent inshore waters throughout the year

13. Description • Moderately large thick body • Olive sandy brown dorsally and pale white ventrally • Rostrum tapers distally Descriptors • 18-22 pair of teeth extending onto base of saw • 1st dorsal fin origin over pelvic fin origin • No fork in caudal fin • Rough skin Size • Reported to attain at least 150cm, locally caught at 310cm Diet • Prawns and fish

14. Fisheries • Commercial trawl, gill net and long line fisheries • Recreational line fishery and bait collection using small mesh cast nets and seine nets • Indigenous net and harpoon fishing • Foreign illegal gill net and line fishing Utilisation • Meat and fins • Rostrum for trophy collectors • Collection of live aquarium specimens

15. Green Sawfish Taxonomy Order - PristiformesFamily - PristidaeGenus - PristisSpecies - zijsron Conservation Status IUCN Red List - Critically endangered; NSW – critically endangered; NT Fisheries - vulnerable

16. Distribution and Habitat • Very low abundances in waters of southern and central Queensland • Higher abundances in northern region including the Gulf of Carpentaria • Live on muddy or sandy-mud soft bottom habitats • Inhabit coastal foreshores and bays mostly as juveniles • Inhabit marine waters to a depth greater than 40m as adults • Adults known to seasonally frequent inshore waters and rivers during monsoonal months to pup • Catches of green sawfish are very low and are highly variable

17. Description • Large slender body • Olive brown-green dorsally and pale white ventrally • Rostrum does not narrow at tip Descriptors • 24-28 pair of teeth • Teeth are moreclosely spaced at tip and extend onto base of saw • No fork in caudal fin • 1st dorsal fin begins behind pelvic fin origin • Rough skin Size • Maximum reported size 730cm Diet • Prawns and fish

18. Fisheries • Commercial trawl, gill net and long line fisheries • Recreational line fishery and bait collection using small mesh cast nets and seine nets • Indigenous net and harpoon fishing • Foreign illegal gill net and line fishing Utilisation • Meat and fins • Rostrum for trophy collectors • Collection of live aquarium specimens