Freshwater Sawfish
Freshwater Sawfish
 

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Freshwater Sawfish

Sawfish species are called sawfish due to its saw snout which is called the rostrum. The snout isn’t really a saw but the scales on the snout looks like teeth and has given the fish its name. The real teeth can be found inside the mouth. The snout is very sensitive and allows the sawfish to find hidden prey. Once they found a prey they lash at it with the snout to paralyze the prey before eating it. This allows the saw fish to eat prey that would be to fast to catch directly in their mouths.

Freshwater Sawfish a predatory fish found in Australian waters. They are a threatened species and the number of freshwater sawfish left in the wild is diminishing fast. The freshwater sawfish is more precise found in freshwater rivers and creeks of Northern Australia, around one hundred kilometers inland. They grow quite large with a an adult size of 110 inches /280 cm in length.

Freshwater sawfish can migrate between salt and freshwater and are often found in muddy rivers where they rest on the banks when they aren’t searching for prey. The freshwater sawfish is the largest of the species in the genus Pristidae which contains a total of 8 species.

Freshwater saw fish has an interesting reproduction behavior where the eggs hatch inside the female and the female than gives birth to live young in the same way as some shark species. The species has a very poor productivity which is one of the reasons for their present situation. A female usually only give birth to about 8 pups (the fry are called pups) every other year. This makes it very hard for them to replenish their numbers.

The main reason for this species endangered status, they are cites listed as critically endangered, is that humans catch them to sell them. All parts of these fish have a commercial value and most parts are sold as different tourist souvenirs. Which ones again show the importance of never buying animal based souvenirs. Other parts are sold to Asia where they are believed to have medical qualities.

The fish also often get caught as a side catch in nets used by fishermen. There are a number of projects working to try and save this fish from extinction. And there is no doubt that action is need unless the freshwater sawfish is to be a thing of the past. They are going to need help if their numbers are to raise again.

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Freshwater Sawfish