The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is a unique and imperiled marine species recognized by its long, flat, saw-like snout. This creature, a type of ray, has faced a severe population decline over the last century. Today, the species is classified as critically endangered, primarily due to human activities across its historical range. Understanding its current status requires examining its biology, the collapse of its former territory, and ongoing recovery efforts.
Identifying the Smalltooth Sawfish
The smalltooth sawfish belongs to the elasmobranch group, which includes sharks and rays. Despite its shark-like body, the sawfish is a ray, indicated by its gill slits located on the underside of its body. Its most recognizable feature is the rostrum, a long, slender extension of the snout lined with 20 to 32 pairs of modified teeth. Adult sawfish can reach lengths up to 16 feet (about 500 centimeters) in the wild.
Life History
The species is vulnerable to population decline because of its life history characteristics. Smalltooth sawfish exhibit slow growth and mature late in life, with females reaching reproductive maturity around 7 to 11 years of age. They also produce few offspring. This combination of traits means their populations naturally recover very slowly, even after threats are reduced.
Historical Range Collapse and Current Population Estimates
Determining the exact number of remaining smalltooth sawfish is difficult due to the species’ elusive nature and vast habitat. Historically, the U.S. population was distributed widely along the Atlantic coast, from North Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico to Texas. This territory has contracted severely, and the species is now extirpated from much of its former range.
Current Distribution and Tracking
Today, the entire U.S. population is functionally restricted to a small core area in Southwest Florida. The highest concentration is found between Charlotte Harbor, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys. Globally, the smalltooth sawfish is estimated to occur in less than 20% of its former worldwide range. Instead of a single headcount, recovery status is tracked through indices of abundance, range expansion, and the frequency of juvenile sightings in nursery habitats. Recovery criteria aim for a long-term viable population, defined by substantial increases in the number of individuals and re-establishment across its historical territory.
Primary Drivers of Population Loss
The dramatic reduction in sawfish numbers is linked to two specific human activities that peaked in the 20th century.
Bycatch Mortality
Historically, the greatest threat was incidental capture, or bycatch, in commercial and recreational fisheries. The sawfish’s unique rostrum, which it uses to locate and stun prey, made it susceptible to entanglement in fishing gear, especially gill nets and trawls. Once caught, sawfish often died or were killed due to the difficulty of releasing them from nets. This high mortality rate was unsustainable for a species with a naturally slow reproductive rate.
Habitat Loss
The second driver of decline is the ongoing loss of specialized habitat. Juvenile smalltooth sawfish rely on extremely shallow, low-salinity estuarine waters, particularly those lined with red mangroves, as nurseries. Coastal development, which includes converting mangrove forests into concrete seawalls and dredging shallow areas, has destroyed these essential juvenile habitats. Without safe, productive nursery areas, the remaining population cannot effectively reproduce and sustain itself.
Current Conservation and Recovery Status
In response to the severe decline, the smalltooth sawfish was listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2003. This was significant, as it marked the first time a marine fish was granted federal protection under the act. The ESA listing made it illegal to catch, harm, harass, or kill a smalltooth sawfish, providing immediate protection from direct fishing mortality.
Recovery Efforts
The subsequent recovery plan focuses on three main objectives: reducing accidental capture mortality, protecting and restoring important habitats, and educating the public and fishermen. Specific actions include designating two broad areas in Southwest Florida as juvenile Critical Habitat in 2009 to protect the remaining nursery grounds. Monitoring programs track the population’s status by tagging individuals and relying on public reports of sightings. While full recovery is expected to take decades, scientists are observing encouraging signs that the population is stabilizing and may be slowly beginning to rebound in the core Florida recovery zone.