Temporal Reductions in the Distribution and Abundance of U.S. Atlantic Sawfishes (Pristis spp.) George H. Burgess and Tobey H. Curtis Florida Program for Shark Research Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida

“Like an axe murderer, he’s been in the headlines…There have been assertions that sawfish stalk bathers…and cut them in two. According to old whaling journals, the saws hunted whales in packs and sliced them up like so much salami. There are even accounts of sawfish attacking men in dories -- after reducing the boats to driftwood.” --Field and Stream (1959)

Where have the Sawfish gone??

Habitat Loss Fishing Mortality

300 + records from the Indian River Lagoon “an abundant species, permanently resident in the Indian River.” (Evermann and Bean, 1897) Photo  Tobey Curtis

Extirpated from the Indian River Lagoon “The disappearance of this large ray from the Indian River system has been dramatic.” (Snelson and Williams, 1981) Photo  Tobey Curtis

Entanglement - Gillnets - Longlines - Longlines

Sawfish Database Summary Pristis pectinata Pristis perotteti813 Pristis sp.710 TOTAL # Records # Specimens

P. perotteti < 20 teeth each side of rostrum P. pectinata 24+ teeth each side of rostrum

P. perotteti records , Texas, 1 specimen , Florida, 1 specimen , Florida, 1 specimen , Texas, 6 specimens , Texas, 1 specimen , Texas, 1 specimen , Texas, 1 specimen 8. ????, Alabama?, 1 specimen

P. perotteti capture locations (N=4) ?

P. pectinata

Numbers of Pristis pectinata captured by State (N = 762)

P. pectinata capture locations (N=150) N

P. pectinata capture locations (N=125) N

N P. pectinata capture locations (N=91)

P. pectinata capture locations (N=52) N

Recent Record: 18 July 2002 East of Savannah, Georgia -- First sawfish captured north of Florida since Photo  Tobey Curtis

Numbers of Pristis pectinata captured (N = 729) and Atlantic/Gulf Fishery Landings Pre SFNRC Recreational Fishery Database (T. Schmidt)

Length Frequency of Pristis pectinata captured (N = 106) 294 kg 460 cm TL All Areas Florida

Endangered Species Act U.S. Federal Register April 1, 2003

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Sawfish Status Review Team - William Adams, Steve Branstetter, Jose Castro, Jennifer Lee, Jack Musick - Colin Simpfendorfer, Mote Marine Laboratory - Tom Schmidt, South Florida Natural Resources Center - All Museum curators who shared records - All other scientists and fishers who shared records - Barbara O’Bannon, NMFS Fisheries Statistics Office - Rebecca Murray, Rachel Worthen, Kevin Coyne, Craig Knickle, and Jamie Barichivich (FLMNH) for early literature review, database organization, and data analysis - Funding from NOAA/NMFS to the National Shark Research Consortium