SAWFISH: The world’s most endangered marine fish
FAST FACTS: EASTERN PACIFIC
Species:
Status:
Biology:
Threats:
Amazing facts:
Opportunities:
- One of the world’s five sawfish species occurs in the Eastern Pacific, the Largetooth Sawfish
- The Eastern Pacific population of the Largetooth Sawfish can be considered distinct and isolated because of its geographic separation
Status:
- The status of the Largetooth Sawfish in the Eastern Pacific is poorly known, but it has disappeared from a large part of its former range
- In the Eastern Pacific, the Largetooth Sawfish once ranged from Mexico to Peru
- Largetooth Sawfish may now possibly be extinct in several countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru; there are no confirmed records in many parts of the region for the past decade
- The occurrence of Largetooth Sawfish in Peru may have represented seasonal migration from the species’ core range in Central America
- Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, which encompasses the Corcovado National Park’s Rio Sirena and the Térraba-Sierpe Wetland is thought to host a remnant population of sawfishes
- Artisanal fishers of Golfo Dulce (Costa Rica) report they have not seen sawfish in decades
- Largetooth Sawfish were known to exist in Panama’s Pacific-draining man-made Lake Bayano in 1982, but there are no recent records from Panama
- In Mexico, the catch of sawfishes is now prohibited
Biology:
- The Largetooth Sawfish occurs in marine and freshwater. It was historically reported from a number of freshwater systems in the Eastern Pacific
- Largetooth Sawfish are born at 70-90 cm in length and can grow to over 6.5 m
- Largetooth Sawfish reach sexual maturity at around 8-10 years old and live at least 44 years
- Largetooth Sawfish give birth to 1-13 young
Threats:
- In the Eastern Pacific, Largetooth Sawfish were caught by gillnets, longlines and trawl nets
- Threats such as artisanal net fishing, shark longlining, and substantial mangrove loss are ongoing throughout the species’ historical range in the Eastern Pacific
- Ongoing threats mean that any remnant populations are likely still in decline
Amazing facts:
- There are archaeological remains and cultural depictions of sawfishes by the Cocle people (circa 150 BC to 700 CE) of Panama
- In the Eastern Pacific, Largetooth Sawfish meat was used for human consumption fresh, frozen or salted or for ornamental purposes
Opportunities:
- Poorly-studied parts of the Eastern Pacific with suitable sawfish habitat (e.g. the Darién, Panama) require targeted surveys to locate any remnant populations
- Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica have been identified as priority countries in need of legal protection of Largetooth Sawfish