Yesterday was International Sawfish Day, so we’ve decided to make a post about this charismatic family of rays! • Sawfish are actually rays, rather than sharks. Their most distinctive feature is their elongated snout - called a rostrum - that is covered in teeth. Since the teeth are on their rostrum, they are called rostral teeth! This specialized saw is used as a hunting tool, as it is covered with thousands of electroreceptors that help the sawfish detect prey. Once they find their food, they can use their saw to pin down or hit food in order to make it easier to capture and eat. • The sawfish family is one of the most threatened groups of fish. There are five species, with two being Endangered and three being Critically Endangered. They are killed by humans for their meat, fins, oil, and rostral teeth. They also suffer from habitat loss and degradation, with the shallow waters they use as nurseries for young sawfish being affected by dams and pollution. • If you want to help save sawfish, please support the Sawfish Conservation Society, the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, and Shark Advocates International. ••••••••••••••••••••• #sawfish #sawfishconservation #sawfishresearch #flatshark #flatsharkfriday #sharkconservation #sharkeducation #ray #dontfearthefin #stopsharkfinning #stopoverfishing https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFN3iyl9HP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18lss6mwxqphp