An appreciation of the Sawfish, one of Earth's most threatened fish

"The earliest sawfishes likely arose in the shallow Tethys Sea, that ocean surrounded by the ancient continents of Godwanda and Laurasia, during the Cretaceous period at least 60 million years ago," writes Dr. M. at Deep Sea News.

These "sole survivors of an ancient bloodline" now number only seven species which roam the muddy bottoms of coastal areas, bays and estuaries.

All sawfishes can move easily between fresh and saltwater and often venture deep upstream into rivers. The sawfish lifestyle puts this both their size and saw near humans. All seven species are considered critically endangered by the IUCN. As much as we have impacted them, sawfish have also greatly influenced our culture.

And now, they're one of the most threatened species on our planet. Thanks, humans!

More: Exaltation to Extinction for Sawfishes [Deep Sea News]

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

MORE: biology • fish • marine • oceans • Science • water • zoology

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Freethinkersanon Christopher

Anthropogenic climate change, overfishing, pollution…this is why we can’t have nice things.
Slartibartfatsdomino

“The sawfish lifestyle puts this both their size and saw near humans.”

I can’t parse this sentence.

[edit] So, I went over to where the original quote was and asked the author what the hell this sentence meant. He deleted my comment, fixed the sentence, and made no note of the correction.

Typical Internet etiquette, I believe, should be to leave my comment, thank me for pointing out the error, and then fix it (although the thanks and the fix can be switched in sequence). Dr. M at Deep Sea News earns one (1) Internet Douchebag Point*, in my books.

* It takes many more that one (1) Internet Douchebag Point to be officially declared an Internet Douchebag.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=13001904 Jeremy Sweeney

I don’t think it’s right that Big Science is pushing the Sawtooth Fish Agenda on us.
LogrusZed

I blame Giligan and Fred Flintstone.
waetherman

“…one of earth’s most threatening fish.”

There, I fixed it for you.
Beanolini

I found one of these down the back of the radiator in my living room. Well, the saw part, anyway. By far the most interesting thing the previous occupants left us.