Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 88, April 2009, pp. 1-14. | Page 3

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from these increasingly rare species for taxonomic research. P. zijsron is a member of the
‘Pristis pectinata complex’, probably also containing P. clavata, with narrow-based, less
tapered, lighter rostral saws, with more numerous (usually over 23), smaller teeth than
species of the Pristis pristis complex.
Red List Category: Critically Endangered.
Year Assessed: 2006.
Assessors: Compagno, L.J.V., Cook, S.F. & Oetinger, M.I.
Justification:
A very large, formerly common, Indo-West Pacific sawfish recorded mainly in inshore
marine habitats, also reported from freshwater. Like all sawfishes, it is extremely
vulnerable to capture by target and bycatch fishing throughout its range, which has
contracted significantly as a result. All populations are now very seriously depleted,
with records having become extremely infrequent over the last 30 to 40 years.
Range Description:
This Indo-Pacific species has been recorded from South Africa to the Arabian/Persian
Gulf, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago.
Freshwater records have been made from Thailand, possibly in the Tachin River and
Songkhla Lake (where the species has not been recorded for many years), Malaysia,
Indonesia (Kalimantan at Bandjermassing, Java and Ternate Islands) and in Australia
from Queensland in Lake Macquarie, and New South Wales in the Clarence River.
Contraction of the range of this species has been reported in Australia, where green
sawfish once occurred at least as far south as Sydney, but now are virtually extinct in
New South Wales and are very rarely found south of Townsville, and in South Africa,
where sawfishes are apparently no longer resident in areas such as Lake St Lucia.
Countries: Native:
Australia (New South Wales, Queensland); Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia (Java,
Kalimantan); Malaysia; Mauritius; Mozambique; Myanmar; Oman; Emirates; Pakistan;
Papua New Guinea; Somalia; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Thailand; Viet Nam.
FAO Marine Fishing Areas: Native:
Western Indian Ocean; eastern Indian Ocean; northwest Pacific; western central Pacific.

Gazelle – Number 88 – April 2009