The function of the sawfish's saw

Wueringer, Barbara E.; Squire, Lyle; Kajiura, Stephen M.; Hart, Nathan S.; Collin, Shaun P.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.01.055

Cited by 56 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…They are distributed across coastal areas, estuaries, and freshwaters from tropical to subtropical regions -especially in shallow, sandy, or muddy bottoms. The saw is used mainly for feeding purposes, such as to scour the bottom for benthic prey or to capture free-swimming ray-finned fishes (Wueringer et al 2012, Poulakis et al 2017. However, rostral ex pansion is also the main cause of entanglement in fishing nets (Dulvy et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sawfish (Pristidae) records along the Eastern Amazon coast

Feitosa¹,

Martins²,

Nunes³

2017

Endang. Species. Res.

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Sawfishes are the most endangered cartilaginous fishes on the planet. Their external morphology facilitates entanglement in fishing nets and their K-selected life history hinders the recovery of exploited populations. The Eastern Amazon coast (EAC) is known to be an area where sawfishes occur in Brazil, but few studies have been conducted in the area to better understand their biology and ecology. The present study reports sawfish captures along the coast of Brazil's second largest state. Data were collected from interviews with fishermen, a literature review, and media reports. In total, 23 captures were recorded between 1984 and 2016. Records include adults, a pregnant female with near-term embryos, juveniles, and young-of-the-year specimens. Most catches were reported in the Canal do Navio, an area under strong human pressure. Sawfish saws are valuable items and, for many anglers in precarious economic and social situations, high market prices eclipse the fishing prohibitions laid down under federal laws. Urgent research is required to understand sawfishes' life history, identify their critical habitats, and effectively manage and conserve these species along the EAC.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sawfish (Pristidae) records along the Eastern Amazon coast

Feitosa¹,

Martins²,

Nunes³

2017

Endang. Species. Res.

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“…Extended bills can also be found in non-billfish species (e.g. paddlefishes and sawfishes) where they are believed to be used primarily for sensory detection and prey manipulation [17,18] rather than direct capture. In some instances, posterior extensions of the body in a number of vertebrates (e.g.…”

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confidence: 99%

How sailfish use their bills to capture schooling prey

et al. 2014

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The istiophorid family of billfishes is characterized by an extended rostrum or 'bill'. While various functions (e.g. foraging and hydrodynamic benefits) have been proposed for this structure, until now no study has directly investigated the mechanisms by which billfishes use their rostrum to feed on prey. Here, we present the first unequivocal evidence of how the bill is used by Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) to attack schooling sardines in the open ocean. Using high-speed video-analysis, we show that (i) sailfish manage to insert their bill into sardine schools without eliciting an evasive response and (ii) subsequently use their bill to either tap on individual prey targets or to slash through the school with powerful lateral motions characterized by one of the highest accelerations ever recorded in an aquatic vertebrate. Our results demonstrate that the combination of stealth and rapid motion make the sailfish bill an extremely effective feeding adaptation for capturing schooling prey.

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“…Data of capture distance from the bottom are currently not available, but these data could help prevent future sawfish catches through indication of how far sawfishes travel into the water column. For example, sawfishes are considered to be benthic, but analysis of the food capture behaviour of captive P. pristis indicates that they can use the whole water column for prey manipulation (Wueringer et al 2012). Importantly, data from surface-set gillnets are likely to underestimate local relative abundances of sawfishes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sawfish captures in the Queensland Shark Control Program, 1962 to 2016

Wueringer¹

2017

Endang. Species. Res.

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Within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in Queensland, Australia, lack of information on the distribution of sawfishes presents difficulty for informed management of their habitats and populations. This study aims to provide insights into the historical and current distributions through analysis of sawfish by-catch records from the Queensland Shark Control Program (QSCP), which has protected bathers since 1963 by targeting large sharks. Sawfishes have been caught in 8 of the 10 areas where the QSCP has been active. A total of 1450 captures of sawfishes (all 4 species known from Australia) were reported from 1963 to August 2016, with most (> 99%) in the 4 most northern areas; Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, and Rockhampton. Sawfishes were mainly captured in gillnets. Most (95.4%) animals were alive when the gear was checked. In Townsville and Rockhampton, standardised sawfish captures have declined over the years. No sawfish captures in QSCP gear have been recorded in 3 areas (Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton) since gillnets were banned there, but in Mackay, where gillnets are still used, only 4 animals have been caught since 1999. It is recommended that QSCP contractors take more detailed data of future sawfish captures, and that contractors and fishers receive training on releasing sawfishes swiftly and with minimal damage. Moreover, as the use of gillnets in the QSCP has been decreasing over the years, fisheries-independent studies of current sawfish distributions are required.

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The function of the sawfish's saw

Abstract: openAccessArticle: TruePage Range: R150-R150doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.01.055Harvest Date: 2016-01-12 15:12:37issueName:cover date: 2012-03-06pubType: Correspondenc

Cited by 56 publications

References 8 publications

Sawfish (Pristidae) records along the Eastern Amazon coast

Sawfish (Pristidae) records along the Eastern Amazon coast

How sailfish use their bills to capture schooling prey

Sawfish captures in the Queensland Shark Control Program, 1962 to 2016

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