Sawfish On The Brink Of Extinction, Gone In Over Half Its Natural Habitats

There are lots of unique, wild-looking fish living under the sea — and the sawfish is definitely one of them! But if we don’t act now to save the positively prehistoric ocean- and freshwater-dwellers, future generations may never catch glimpses of the “hedge trimmers with fins.”

My, you look just like a hedge trimmer? Sawfishes are a type of ray that sport super-long flat snouts, called rostrums, which are lined with outward-facing teeth. All in all, their aesthetic screams "lawn tool." The resemblance is uncanny. What's the purpose of these impracticable appendages? Scientists believe they evolved as built-in swords. But, as ocean populations shifted and human fishing flourished, sawfish noses became a liability. Sawfishes — also known as carpenter sharks — measure about 25 feet (7.6 meters) and tip the scales at 1,323 pounds (600 kilograms)! As low-key omnivores, sawfishes eat small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, but little is known about their behavioral habits because they've largely evaded human observation in the wild.