Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01763:reg:2:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01763
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2 (pt 3/5)
Character Range: 14021–16922

these species inhabit inshore coastal areas including rivers and estuaries. Largetooth sawfish live in freshwater rivers and upper estuarine areas as juveniles, before moving into estuarine and marine areas as adults. The other four species spend much of their lives in estuarine and inshore areas. Adults of all five species are thought to also utilise deepwater habitats, though this is unconfirmed for dwarf sawfish and speartooth sharks. Little is known about adult habitat use for any of the species.
Largetooth sawfish inhabit the sandy or muddy bottoms of shallow coastal waters, estuaries, river mouths and freshwater rivers, and isolated water holes. The species has been recorded up to 400 km inland (Witty et al., 2008). Largetooth sawfish have a shift in habitat utilisation with neonate and juvenile animals primarily occurring in the freshwater reaches of rivers and estuaries and adult animals being found in marine and estuarine environments.
Green sawfish occur in inshore coastal environments including estuaries, river mouths, embayments and along sandy and muddy beaches, as well as offshore marine habitat (Stevens et al., 2005; Thorburn et al., 2003). They have been recorded in very shallow water (less than one metre) and in offshore trawl grounds in over 70 m of water (Stevens et al., 2005). Green sawfish do not utilise freshwater environments.
Dwarf sawfish usually inhabit shallow (two to three metres) coastal waters and estuarine habitats, almost into freshwater (Thorburn et al., 2007b; Last & Stevens, 2009). A study in north-western Western Australia found that estuarine habitats are used as nursery areas, with juveniles remaining in these areas up until three years of age (Thorburn et al., 2007b). Adults are thought to occupy a range within the coastal fringe of only a few square kilometres and show site fidelity (Stevens et al., 2008).
Juvenile and sub-adult speartooth sharks utilise large tropical river systems as their primary habitat (Stevens et al., 2005). Based on physiological and life history similarities with bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), it is assumed adult speartooth sharks live outside of rivers in the coastal marine environment (Stevens et al., 2005; Pillans et al., 2008).
Northern river sharks utilise rivers, tidal sections of large tropical estuarine systems and macrotidal embayments, as well as inshore and offshore marine habitats (Pillans et al., 2009; Thorburn & Morgan, 2004). Adults have been recorded only in marine environments, whereas neonates, juveniles and subadults have been recorded in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments (Pillans et al., 2009).
All five species are considered to be top order predators and their diet consists mostly of a variety of fish and crustaceans (Stevens et al., 2005). Each of the species likely has its own prey preferences, which would also vary depending on where the animals