Designed for local Non-profits funding research and educational efforts to protect the critically endangered Smalltooth Sawfish. Designed layout and hand-illustrated species, and pop-up graphics. Information provided by subject matter experts.
Meet the Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata), a cartilaginous fish that belongs to the Subclass Elasmobranchii, which also includes all sharks and rays! This tannish-brown fish can reach a total length of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters), and is found in shallow tropical and subtropical waters in coastal or estuarine parts of the Atlantic.Of five species of sawfish found worldwide, it is the only species found in Florida waters, although the historical range of this species once extended from the U.S. down to Brazil. Researchers believe that Smalltooth Sawfish populations have declined around 95% throughout their historic range. Although there is no known way to do a census of remaining Smalltooth Sawfish alive today, their estimated population around U.S. waters may be around 270 to 500 or so individuals.If you encounter a Smalltooth Sawfish, please follow the instructions here to report the siting, or visit our collaborators at @seacoasthaven or @noaa to learn more! This graphic is part of our @endangeredspeciescoalition & @oceanicpreserationsociety project that celebrated the Endangered Species Act turning 50 in October 2023!