(Image credit: Australian National Fish Collection, CSIRO)

Sawsharks are similar to sawfish, both with elongated snouts which form long, flat blades with teeth along each edge. However, sawsharks have five to six gill slits on the side of their heads (lateral), while sawfish have their gills underneath, on their ventral side. The tropical sawshark is a yellowish-brown colour. Its snout is very long and slender and it has barbells which are located about half way along it.

Length: Up to at least 84 cm

Habitat

Offshore around continental slope; 245-405 m depth

Log it

Log this species anywhere in Queensland waters

Related links/info

Species names on the Redmap site are based on the Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota or CAAB (http://www.cmar.csiro.au/caab/). This is updated regularly and lists the approved common name, family, species name and more.

Froese F, Pauly D (2011) Fishbase. www.fishbase.org

Seitz, Jason (2012) Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/sawfishbiology.html

Last P.R. and Stevens J.D. (1994) Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia.

Find further information and images at FISHES OF AUSTRALIA http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/