The shortnose sawshark, or the southern sawshark, is a benthic sawshark found off the coasts of Australia.
Shortnose Sawshark Scientific Classification |
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| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Pristiophoriformes |
| Family | Pristiophoridae |
| Genus | Pristiophorus |
| Scientific Name | P. nudipinnis |
Description
Male shortnose sawsharks are about 3.6 ft long, while females are 4.1 ft long. Their bodies are compressed, with a narrow rostrum, which makes up 22% and 24% of the shark’s total body length. There are 17-19 lateral rostral sawtooth, 12-14 before the barbells, and 6-8 after them.
When looked at from above, this shark is a slate grey, while it is creamy when looked at from below. There are dusky stripes along the rostrum.
Where do they live
Map Of The Shortnose Sawshark’s Habitat
It lives around southern Australia, in temperate or sub-tropical waters at depths of 230 ft, though some specimens have been observed at 531 ft.
Behavior
Feeding
Shortnose sawsharks feed on benthic fish and invertebrates.
Reproductive
It is ovoviviparous, biannually giving birth to a litter of 7-14 pups. At birth, a pup is about 14 inches on average.
A shortnose sawshark has a lifespan of 9 years.
Adaptations
Like all sawsharks, it uses its rostrum for hunting as well as in defense against predators.
Interactions with humans
This species is harmless to humans due to its size. Due to its high reproductive rate, the IUCN classified it as “Least Concern” or “LC” despite its small range and being caught as a bycatch by gillnet fisheries.
