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Pristis microdon

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
ANIMALIA CHORDATA CHONDRICHTHYES RAJIFORMES PRISTIDAE

Scientific Name: Pristis microdon
Species Authority: Latham, 1794
Common Name/s:
English – Freshwater Sawfish, Largetooth Sawfish, Leichhardt's Sawfish, Smalltooth Sawfish
French – Poisson-scie
Spanish – Pejepeine, Pez Sierra
Taxonomic Notes: The genus Pristis is taxonomically chaotic with uncertainty regarding the true number of valid species. The practical difficulties associated with resolving these taxonomic issues are acute, since it is extremely difficult to obtain specimens or tissue samples from these increasingly rare species for taxonomic research. Family Pristidae contains one mono-specific genus (Anoxypristis) and one genus (Pristis) of four to six species, grouped by similar visual characteristics. The 'Pristis pristis complex'; (Pristis pristis, P. microdon and P. perotteti), has relatively broad-based, strongly tapered and massive saws, with fewer (under 22) large teeth. P. microdon may not be distinct from the largetooth sawfish P. perotteti, which occurs in the Americas and west Africa. Field research and collection of specimens from both groups for comparison will be needed to verify the uniqueness of these two species. Some of the members of these groups may be sub-species or geographically distinct populations rather than valid species, but because many populations have been extirpated their precise genetic identity may never be resolved (Compagno and Cook 1995a, 2005a,b).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Critically Endangered A2abcd+3cd+4bcd ver 3.1
Year Published: 2006
Assessor/s: Compagno, L.J.V., Cook, S.F. & Fowler, S.L.
Reviewer/s: van der Elst, R., Everett, B. & participants of the Shark Specialist Group Subequatorial Africa workshop (Shark Red List Authority)
Contributor/s:
Justification:
A large eurohaline Indo-Pacific species of sawfish that has mostly been reported in freshwaters of Southeast Asia and Australia, also in southeastern African rivers, but probably always has been more common in coastal waters where it is less noticeable. It is characterised by extreme and continued vulnerability to fisheries (evidenced by serious declines in virtually all known populations), compounded by habitat loss and degradation over most of its range. Remaining populations are now small, fragmented and Critically Endangered globally.
History:
2006 – Critically Endangered
2000 – Endangered
1996 – Endangered (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1996 – Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:
Native:
Australia; Bangladesh; Cambodia; India; Indonesia; Malaysia; Mozambique; Myanmar; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Thailand
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Present - origin uncertain:
Indian Ocean – eastern; Indian Ocean – western; Pacific – southwest; Pacific – western central
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend: Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Systems: Freshwater; Marine
Citation: Compagno, L.J.V., Cook, S.F. & Fowler, S.L. 2006. Pristis microdon. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2013.
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