Saw shark

© Marty Snyderman

The sawfish and saw shark (Pristiophorus Cirratus) often get confused, but are completely different animals (crazy how often that happens, eh?).

Lets look at it anatomically first. Saw sharks can reach up to 1.3 m (4.4 ft), with females sometimes reaching up to 1.5 m (5 ft). Similar in coloration, these animals are a pale yellow/brown on the top with a white underbelly. Sometimes, on the saw shark, there are blotches or bands of darker color. Both the sawfish and saw shark have that chain-saw looking snout, however, SAW SHARKS HAVE BARBELS. Sawfish do not have these and are the most recognizable difference between these two similar sharks.

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Another difference is habitat. While the sawfish has a small area where it has been found, the saw shark has nine different species (although debated by some that it only has eight), found worldwide: Western Atlantic, Japan, Australia and South Africa. They usually inhabit temperate waters of coastal areas, found at depths below 40 m (130 ft), but have been known to frequent shallower bays and estuaries. 
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Unlike many sharks, the saw shark is known to forms schools; it has been hypothesized this is for hunting for food. Their known diet consists of small fish, crustaceans, squid, their large snouts helping them dig in the sand for prey hiding in the sand. Their ampullae of Lorenzini, as well as the barbels, help detect prey. ​

scientific name

• Pliotrema warreni

• Pristiophorus cirratus
• Pristiophorus japonicus
• Pristiophorus nudipinnis
• Pristiophorus schroederi
• Pristiophorus sp. A
• Pristiophorus sp. B
• Pristiophorus sp.
• Pristiophorus sp.

common name

• Sixgill Sawshark

• Longnose Sawshark
• Japanese Sawshark
• Shortnose Sawshark
• Bahamas Sawshark
• Eastern Sawshark
• Tropical Sawshark
• Philippine Sawshark
• Dwarf Sawshark (western Indian Ocean

*The red-colored species names means these animals have been included on the IUCN's Red List of Endangered Species.

For reproduction, all species are viviparous with yolk-sac, giving birth bi-annually in the winter to 7-17 pups in each litter. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Do those teeth hurt the mother as she gives birth? I mean, they're essentially giving birth to animal chainsaws." Have no fear! The pups have the teeth folded against the snout, so no harm comes to the mother. The pups are born with their teeth folded against their snout which protects the mother from harm. In comparison to most sharks, they mature quit quickly, and only live about 15 years.

Sometimes caught as bycatch, these animals are often taken for their meat, as some say it is positively delicious (yum, mercury). The number of saw sharks has declined due to commercial fishing, but not all have been assessed by the IUCN.

differences between sawfish vs sawshark

Characteristic
Species
Gills
Barbels
Saw teeth
Habitat
Size

Sawshark
Shark
Side of shark
Two
Alternate between large/small
Deep/offshore
Get up to 1.5 m (5 ft)

Sawfish
Ray
Under
None
Even teeth
Coastal
Up to 7 m (23 ft)

glossary ​

• Bay: Water connected to an ocean or lake partially surrounded by land (may also be called a “gulf,” “cove,” “sea,” “sound” or “bight”).
• Bycatch: The part of a fishery’s catch that is made up of non-target species.
• Commercial fishery: The activity of catching fish and other seafood for profit.
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Pups: Baby sharks.
• Viviparous with yolk-sac: Also known as aplacental viviparous and previously known as ovoviviparous/ovoviviparity; it is the production of eggs that are fertilised and hatch inside the female shark but the embryos lack a placental connection to the oviduct or uterus and so do not feed off the mother.

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