Pristis is a genus of sawfish of the familyPristidae. These large fish are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions in coastal marine waters, estuaries, and freshwater lakes and rivers.[3] Sawfish have declined drastically and all species are considered critically endangered today.[4][5]
Taxonomy
The scientific genus name Pristis is derived from the Greek word for saw.[6]
Living species
Recent authorities recognize four species:[4][5][7][8]
These are divided into two species groups. Most are considered a part of the smalltooth group, except P. pristis which is the sole member of the largetooth group.[9] Two additional species, P. microdon and P. perotteti, have historically been recognized, but in 2013 it was shown that they are conspecific with P. pristis as morphological and genetic differences are lacking,[9] leading recent authorities to treat them as synonyms.[5][7][8][10][11][12]Anoxypristis cuspidata was formerly included in Pristis, but it has a number of distinctive features (for example, no teeth on the basal quarter of the saw) and recent authorities place it in its own genus.[3][5][7]
Extinct species
According to Fossilworks, extinct Pristis species only known from fossil remains include:[13]
Fossil rostal teeth of Pristis lathami from Khouribga (Morocco.)
However, among this list are some species considered invalid by recent authorities and others now generally recognized as belonging in Anoxypristis.[1][14][15] Fossil Pristis range from the Late Paleocene to the Quaternary period.[1][2] Fossils have been found all over the world.[13]
References
^ abcWueringer, B.E.; L. Squire Jr.; S.P. Collin (2009). "The biology of extinct and extant sawfish (Batoidea: Sclerorhynchidae and Pristidae)". Rev Fish Biol Fisheries. 19 (4): 445–464. doi:10.1007/s11160-009-9112-7. S2CID3352391.
^ abCicimurri, D.J. (2009). "A Partial Rostrum of the Sawfish Pristis lathami Galeotti, 1837, from the Eocene of South Carolina". Journal of Paleontology. 81 (3): 597–601. doi:10.1666/05086.1. S2CID130683481.
^ abPeter R. Last; William T. White; Marcelo R. de Carvalho; Bernard Séret; Matthias F. W. Stehmann; Gavin J. P. Naylor, eds. (2016). Rays of the World. CSIRO. pp. 59–66. ISBN978-0-643-10914-8.
^ abLast, P.R.; De Carvalho, M.R.; Corrigan, S.; Naylor, G.J.P.; Séret, B.; Yang, L. (2016). "The Rays of the World project - an explanation of nomenclatural decisions". In Last, P.R.; Yearsley, G.R. (eds.). Rays of the World: Supplementary Information. CSIRO Special Publication. pp. 1–10. ISBN978-1-4863-0801-9.
^ abFaria, V. V.; McDavitt, M. T.; Charvet, P.; Wiley, T. R.; Simpfendorfer, C. A.; Naylor, G. J. P. (2013). Species delineation and global population structure of Critically Endangered sawfishes (Pristidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 167: 136–164. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00872.x.
^Espinoza, M.; Bonfil-Sanders, R.; Carlson, J.; Charvet, P.; Chevis, M.; Dulvy, N.K.; Everett, B.; Faria, V.; Ferretti, F.; Fordham, S.; Grant, M.I.; Haque, A.B.; Harry, A.V.; Jabado, R.W.; Jones, G.C.A.; Kelez, S.; Lear, K.O.; Morgan, D.L.; Phillips, N.M.; Wueringer, B.E. (2022). "Pristis pristis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T18584848A58336780. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T18584848A58336780.en. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
^Martien J P. Van Oijen; Vicente Faria; Matthew T. McDavitt (2007). "The curious holotype of Pristis dubius Bleeker, 1852 and the unravelling of Bleeker's sawfish taxonomy". Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 14: 37–49.
^"Introduction". Fossil Sawfish. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
