Endangered Sawfish in the Florida Keys: A Call for Public Reporting and Conservation
Learn about the endangered smalltooth sawfish in the Florida Keys, their unique biology, the efforts to conserve them, and how you can help by reporting sightings to aid in their recovery.
The Endangered Sawfish: A Rare Sight in the Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are one of the few places left in the world where you can still see the endangered sawfish. Once widespread, these unique creatures have been nearly wiped out by longline nets and fishermen who sought their saws as trophies. Today, scientists are studying the remaining population in the United States and are eager to receive reports of any sightings.
Sawfish: Rays, Not Sharks
Despite their shark-like appearance, sawfish are actually rays, distinguished by their mouths and gill slits located underneath their heads. They use their distinctive saw-like noses, or rostrums, to hunt for food like shrimp and fish along the sea bottom. The scientific name for the smalltooth sawfish is Pristis pectinata.
Conservation Status: Smalltooth vs. Largetooth Sawfish
While there is also a species known as the largetooth sawfish, they are almost extinct. Researchers are hopeful that the smalltooth sawfish won’t share the same fate. Largetooth sawfish were once common in the Gulf of Mexico, but by the 1950s, their population had been severely depleted. The last confirmed sightings of largetooth sawfish were in 1943 in Florida and 1961 in Texas. A few may still remain around Brazil, according to Tonya Wiley, who lectured at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center in Key West.
Current Research and Sawfish Population
Researchers are working to learn more about the smalltooth sawfish and their habitats. About 50% of Pristis pectinata can be found from Naples, Florida, around the peninsula to Miami. However, there has been a significant decline in their northern range, with about 99% of their historical migration patterns from Texas to New York no longer in existence. The main reasons for their decline include being targeted as sportfish, becoming bycatch in shrimp trawlers and gill nets, habitat destruction, and low reproductive potential.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Studies have shown that sawfish are about two feet long at birth and can grow to nearly 20 feet in length. However, not much is known about their complete life cycle. For instance, a photograph from Melbourne, Florida, dating back to 1912 showed a sawfish with 12 pups. Interestingly, when baby sawfish are born, their saw-teeth are covered in a gelatinous substance to protect the mother during birth. Young sawfish seek refuge in mangrove roots and shallow waters. To reproduce, they need to be about 12 feet long and around 10 to 12 years old. The largest sawfish ever caught in Florida was 15 feet, four inches long and weighed 648 pounds. It was caught in Florida Bay in 1961. Unfortunately, given the current status of the species, it’s unlikely that any will surpass that size today.
Challenges to Survival
Sawfish teeth can break off, for example, if they hit a rock, but they can regrow. However, if the rostrum itself is damaged or lost, the sawfish would likely die as it would have to scavenge for food without its primary hunting tool.
Conservation Efforts and Public Involvement
In response to their declining numbers, sawfish were given protected status, and harvesting them was banned in 1992. The 1995 Florida gill net ban further helped to prevent species depletion. However, recovery for the smalltooth sawfish is expected to take about a century. For the species to be considered “recovered,” there needs to be an increase in sightings and a broader range of their habitat.
How You Can Help: Reporting Sightings
Agencies are encouraging the public to report any sawfish sightings. While some fishing guides are concerned about potential area closures, Tonya Wiley points out that no greater protection exists than what is already in place for endangered species, where harvesting is not allowed. “Education of fishermen is key,” Wiley said. “We can’t add any more regulations than already exist.”
Compared to the endangered Florida panther, which often cannot survive being hit by a car, a sawfish can survive being caught if left in the water and released. “We need the public to help us with recovery efforts.”
Motorists heading to the Keys will likely notice a billboard in Florida City for the coming year, where the Florida Turnpike ends and the Overseas Highway begins. It encourages reporting sawfish sightings by calling 1-844-4SAWFISH.
Jill Borski has written for ALL AT SEA since 2016.
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