The smalltooth sawfish status review can be downloaded by clicking here . Sawfish biology Sawfish, like sharks, skates and rays, belong to a class of fish called elasmobranchs , whose skeletons are made of cartilage. Sawfish are actually modified rays with a shark-like body, and gill slits on their ventral side. Early sawfish arose around 100 million years ago, but these first sawfish are actually a distant cousins to the modern day sawfishes, which first appeared around 56 million years ago. Their diet includes mostly fish but also some crustaceans.
Smalltooth sawfish is one of two species of sawfish that inhabit U.S. waters.
Little is know about the life history of these animals, but they may live up to 25-30 years and mature after about 10 years. Like many elasmobranchs, smalltooth sawfish are ovoviviparous, meaning the mother holds the eggs inside of her until the young are ready to be born, usually in litters of 15 to 20 pups. Distribution and Abundance Sawfish species inhabit shallow coastal waters of tropical seas and estuaries throughout the world. They are usually found in shallow waters very close to shore over muddy and sandy bottoms. They are often found in sheltered bays, on shallow banks, and in estuaries or river mouths.