Occurrence and habitat use of the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish <i>Pristis pectinata</i> in the Bahamas

Guttridge, Tristan L.; Gulak, Simon J. B.; Franks, Bryan R.; Carlson, John K.; Gruber, Samuel H.; Gledhill, Katie S.; Bond, Mark E.; Johnson, Grant; Grubbs, R. Dean

doi:10.1111/jfb.12825

Cited by 16 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Interviewee knowledge about sawfish habitat use was consistent with the literature (Thorson 1974, 1976, 1982, Poulakis et al 2011, Guttridge et al 2015. Undoubtedly, fishers that were alive when sawfishes were still plentiful in Mexico had a keen understanding of the basic habitats used by sawfishes, such as their preference for shallow coastal waters rather than deep coastal waters, or juveniles occurring more frequently in estuaries and coastal lagoons than any other habitat.…”

Section: Biology and Ecologysupporting

confidence: 58%

Tapping into local ecological knowledge to assess the former importance and current status of sawfishes in Mexico

Bonfil¹,

Ricaño-Soriano²,

Mendoza-Vargas³

et al. 2018

Endang. Species. Res.

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Information on the occurrence and abundance of the Critically Endangered smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata and largetooth sawfish P. pristis across most of their former range is needed for a comprehensive global conservation status assessment. The current presence of both species in Mexico and the rest of Latin America remains uncertain in the absence of dedicated studies. During 2015, we performed the first nationwide study of sawfishes in Mexico. We developed specific materials to survey fishers, raise community awareness, and publicize sawfish conservation needs. We interviewed 794 fishers in 71 localities along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico. Additional data from a similar 2010−2011 survey of 39 fishers in Tabasco and Campeche were also included in the analysis. Both species might be nearly extirpated from Mexico. Interviewees reported modal decadal dates of last sighting as the 1980s for the smalltooth sawfish along the Atlantic coast and as the 1970s for the largetooth sawfish along both coasts. No confirmed reports of recent (< 5 yr) sightings were reported. However, a live juvenile smalltooth sawfish was caught in Veracruz in January 2016. Historical importance maps were reconstructed, indicating that both species were distributed along the entire surveyed area; the smalltooth sawfish was especially common in Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Tabasco, while the largetooth sawfish was common in Campeche, Colima, and Chiapas. Both species must be re-categorized in Mexican legislation for species at risk of extinction from 'threatened' to 'endangered'.

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Section: Biology and Ecologysupporting

confidence: 58%

Tapping into local ecological knowledge to assess the former importance and current status of sawfishes in Mexico

Bonfil¹,

Ricaño-Soriano²,

Mendoza-Vargas³

et al. 2018

Endang. Species. Res.

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“…In the western Atlantic Ocean, the smalltooth sawfish was historically reported from Brazil through the greater Caribbean and Central America (including The Bahamas, Cuba, Honduras, and Belize), the Gulf of Mexico, and the US Atlantic coast ). However, the species is now found in less than 20% of its former range worldwide (Dulvy et al 2016), and The Bahamas is currently the only known country other than the USA where smalltooth sawfish can be reliably encountered (Guttridge et al 2015). Ongoing tagging and genetic research suggest that there is no mixing between populations in the USA and The Bahamas (Carlson et al 2013, R. D. Grubbs unpubl.…”

Section: Spatial Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biology, ecology, and status of the smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the USA

Brame¹,

Wiley²,

Carlson³

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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The smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata is threatened with extinction throughout its range and has been designated as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. In the USA, the species historically ranged from Texas to North Carolina, but mortality in fisheries and habitat loss have reduced the range to primarily southwest Florida. The US population was listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act in 2003. At that time, data on the biology and ecology of the species were limited. Research and outreach efforts have since expanded, and the quality and quantity of information has increased such that the US population is now one of the most wellstudied sawfish populations worldwide. Smalltooth sawfish are born in litters of 7−14 individuals at lengths of 64−81 cm stretched total length (STL), reach maturity in 7−11 yr at approximately 340 cm STL for males and 370 cm STL for females, grow to a maximum size of about 500 cm STL, and live an estimated 30 yr in the wild. Smalltooth sawfish are piscivorous and shift from shallow estuarine waters as small juveniles to a broader array of coastal habitats as large juveniles and adults. The species is physiologically resilient to anthropogenic stressors, but preserving habitat and reducing fishing effects remain priorities. Data synthesized in this review have advanced our understanding of smalltooth sawfish life history and habitat needs, as well as the threats that continue to affect the population. Cumulatively, these data support optimism for recovery of the smalltooth sawfish in the USA and potentially beyond, though recovery will still require decades.

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“…P. pectinata populations have declined in the Western Atlantic Ocean due to fisheries, habitat loss and life history parameters such as late maturity (Simpfendorfer, 2002). Originally distributed from North Carolina to Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico, only two remaining population strongholds appear to exist: Florida and The Bahamas (Brame et al ., 2019; Guttridge et al ., 2015). Despite the threats facing this species, genetic diversity in southwest Florida and their population recovery potential in the U.S.A. remain relatively high (Carlson & Simpfendorfer, 2015; Chapman et al ., 2011).…”

Section: Loci Name Stl (Cm) Sex Ppe122 Ppe122 Ppe165 Ppe165 Ppe107 Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual breeding in a captive smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata

Flowers

Chapman

Kemp³

et al. 2020

Journal of Fish Biology

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The critically endangered smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata reproduces biennially in central west Florida, U.S.A. Here we demonstrate that smalltooth sawfish are physiologically capable of reproducing annually in a captive environment. The smalltooth sawfish are held in an open system, with abiotic conditions that vary naturally with the surrounding environment in The Bahamas. This suggests wild smalltooth sawfish may also be capable of annual reproduction provided there are adequate prey resources, limited competition and mate availability.

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Occurrence and habitat use of the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the Bahamas

Cited by 16 publications

References 27 publications

Tapping into local ecological knowledge to assess the former importance and current status of sawfishes in Mexico

Tapping into local ecological knowledge to assess the former importance and current status of sawfishes in Mexico

Biology, ecology, and status of the smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the USA

Annual breeding in a captive smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata

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