saw fish - wonderful rare fish

      

          Sawfishes, also known as carpenter sharks, are a family of rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged in a way that resembles a saw. They are among the largest fish with some species reaching lengths of about 7–7.6 m. They are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions in coastal marine and brackish estuarine waters, as well as freshwater rivers and lakes.

           

       This ‘saw’ is equal in width all the way down and has a rounded tip and sharp, tooth-like spikes on either side. It is used to root in the sandy ocean floor to displace crabs, shrimp and other prey as well as to spear through shoals of fish or swipe back and forth to stun or slice individuals.  

         Tiny pores on the underside of the saw allow sawfish to detect the fish and crustaceans they feed on by sensing the electrical currents that emanate from them.They are also known as carpenter sharks and are believed to have originated some 100 million years ago.

           Baby sawfish are born with their strange snouts fully developed, but the saw is soft and enclosed in a membrane during birth to protect the mother from being injured by the sharp spikes. This covering of skin falls off and the saw hardens shortly after birth.

                                                                                                                                                                                                

Sources : Wikipedia, google images, youtube images