General Description

Body long, slender; head flattened, with a relatively broad saw-like snout or rostrum and barbels inserted closer to mouth than to snout tip; nostrils oval, positioned halfway between barbels and corner of mouth; dorsal and pectoral fins entirely covered with denticles. Pale grey to greyish-brown above, pale below. To 1.3 m.

Biology

Sawsharks use their sensory barbels to find their prey, and injure or stun small fishes and invertebrates by vigorously moving their snouts from side to side. They are taken as bycatch in commercial fisheries. Although not considered dangerous, the rostral saw can inflict painful injuries.

Habitat

On soft bottoms, in depths of 5-110 m.

Reefs

Soft substrates

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Sharks and rays › Sharks

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

1.3 m

Diet

Carnivore

Harmful

Although not considered dangerous to humans, the rostral saw can inflict painful injuries.

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

• DSE Advisory List : Not listed
• EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
• IUCN Red List : Least Concern