# longcomb sawfish (*Pristis zijsron*) The longcomb sawfish is a special fish with a long, flat snout that looks like a saw! They live in warm waters and are known for their unique shape and gentle nature. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![longcomb sawfish](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sawfish_genova.jpg&width=800) Photo: Flavio Ferrari, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sawfish_genova.jpg) ## Appearance The longcomb sawfish has a distinctive, very long, narrow rostrum resembling a saw, lined with 23-37 pairs of teeth. Its body is flattened underneath, shark-like on top, typically greyish-brown with a lighter belly. It can be distinguished by its extremely slender saw compared to other sawfish species. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Rhinopristiformes - **Family:** Pristidae - **Genus:** Pristis ## Interesting facts - Baby sawfish are born with a soft, flexible saw to protect their mother during birth! - Sawfish are one of the biggest fish able to live in both rivers and the ocean! - Their saw has unique pores that help them 'smell' electricity from hidden animals. - This incredible fish is more closely related to rays than sharks, despite its appearance! ## Special abilities - **Sawblade Sensor:** Longcomb sawfish can detect hidden prey because its saw is covered in electroreceptors, helping them find food on murky seabeds. - **Habitat Hopper:** Longcomb sawfish can live in both freshwater and saltwater because they are highly adaptable, allowing them to thrive in estuaries and rivers. - **Rostrum Weapon:** Longcomb sawfish has a powerful, toothed saw that helps them stun prey with swift swings, making hunting smaller fish easier. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-730 cm - **Weight:** 10-500 kg - **Lifespan:** 30-50 years - **Swim Speed:** 25 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 70 m - **Water Type:** Brackish ## Diet & Feeding It uses its long, toothed saw to stun and eat small fish and crustaceans found on the seabed. - **Age differences:** Juveniles primarily consume smaller invertebrates, while adults target larger fish and crustaceans. - **Primary Foods:** small fish, shrimp, crabs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Giant tiger prawn (*Penaeus monodon*) — Forages for prawns in soft sediments. - **Hunts:** Dory snapper (*Lutjanus fulviflamma*) — Swings its saw to stun and capture small fish. - **Eaten by:** [Bull shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bull-shark) (*Carcharhinus leucas*) — Juvenile sawfish are vulnerable to large sharks. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Giant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/giant): Giant describes organisms or objects of significantly larger size than average for their species or type. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch from a distance and never try to touch wild fish. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify longcomb sawfish? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is longcomb sawfish? 100-730 cm ### How much does longcomb sawfish weigh? 10-500 kg ### How long does longcomb sawfish live? 30-50 years ### What does longcomb sawfish eat? It uses its long, toothed saw to stun and eat small fish and crustaceans found on the seabed. ### How fast can longcomb sawfish swim? 25 km/h ### Where is longcomb sawfish usually found? Coastal areas ### How does longcomb sawfish hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Downtown Aquarium, Houston](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-aquarium-houston) — Texas, US · Aquarium - [L'Oceanogràfic](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/loceanogr-fic) — Valencian Community, ES · Aquarium ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Longcomb Sawfish: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/longcomb-sawfish)