Abby Rottler
Small tooth sawfish
This is a small tooth sawfish(Pristis pectinata) from Ripley's Aquarium in South Carolina. This species can grow up to 770 pounds and 18 feet in length.they are part of the Elasmobranchs but are modified rays with a shark-like body and central gill slits. Their saw is actually a modified rostrum with 25-30 teeth on each side as well as Ampullae of Lorenzini. They use the rostrum to sense, catch and eat their prey. Ampullae of Lorenzini are little sensors which tells them where prey are. This sawfish is in captivity but the species can be found from Florida to North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico over to Texas. They live in shallow coastal waters close to shore with muddy and sandy bottoms. They prefer waters up to a depth of 32 feet. They are commonly found in sheltered bays, shallow banks, and estuary or river mouths. They prefer water temperatures between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius and have salinity preferences between 18 and 24 parts per thousand. They feed mostly on fish but also consume crustaceans. They are ovoviviparous meaning the mother internalizes the eggs until the young are ready to hatch. They are listed under the Endangered Species Act and were the first Elasmobranchs to be listed as so. They are threatened due to bycatch, getting tangled in fishing nets, juvenile habitat lost and other human destruction activities.
Small tooth sawfish
This is a small tooth sawfish(Pristis pectinata) from Ripley's Aquarium in South Carolina. This species can grow up to 770 pounds and 18 feet in length.they are part of the Elasmobranchs but are modified rays with a shark-like body and central gill slits. Their saw is actually a modified rostrum with 25-30 teeth on each side as well as Ampullae of Lorenzini. They use the rostrum to sense, catch and eat their prey. Ampullae of Lorenzini are little sensors which tells them where prey are. This sawfish is in captivity but the species can be found from Florida to North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico over to Texas. They live in shallow coastal waters close to shore with muddy and sandy bottoms. They prefer waters up to a depth of 32 feet. They are commonly found in sheltered bays, shallow banks, and estuary or river mouths. They prefer water temperatures between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius and have salinity preferences between 18 and 24 parts per thousand. They feed mostly on fish but also consume crustaceans. They are ovoviviparous meaning the mother internalizes the eggs until the young are ready to hatch. They are listed under the Endangered Species Act and were the first Elasmobranchs to be listed as so. They are threatened due to bycatch, getting tangled in fishing nets, juvenile habitat lost and other human destruction activities.