A sawshark or saw shark is a member of a shark order (Pristiophoriformes /prɪstiˈɒfɒrɪfɔːrmiːz/) bearing a unique long, saw-like rostrum (snout or bill) edged with sharp teeth, which they use to slash and disable their prey.

Saw sharks reach a length of up to 5 feet and a weight of 18.7 pounds, with females tending to be slightly larger than males.

This coloration allows the saw shark to easily blend with the sandy ocean floor.

[6] These sharks typically feed on small fish, squid, and crustaceans, depending on species.

It is possible they use it in a similar fashion as sawfishes, and hit prey with side-to-side swipes of the saw, crippling them.

The saw is covered with specialized sensory organs (ampullae of Lorenzini) which detect an electric field which is given off by buried prey.

Saw sharks are ovoviviparous meaning eggs hatch inside the mother.

The life expectancy of sawsharks is still poorly understood, but they are thought to live to 10 years or more.

[14] It has unique physical characteristics which include a long, thin, and flattened snout.

[15] The longnose sawshark prefers to swim in both the open sea and coastal regions from the surface to a depth of 600m.

[19] It uses its barbels to detect prey on the ocean floor which it then hits with its snout to immobilize it.

[20] Sawsharks appear to be one of the types of elasmobranch that are difficult or impossible to age using most commonly-used approaches that rely on vertebral banding.

[22] This species is similar in size as the common sawshark, but has a broader rostrum (saw) and a more even brown coloration.

[24] This deep water dwelling fish is located off the Northeastern shore of Australia, in depths up to 176–405 m. It averages in size at about 95 cm.

Other than its location and appearance little is known of the creature; it is hard to catch due to its ability to travel into the depths of the ocean.

It was discovered in 1966 by Dave Ebert, who distinguished it as a new species of sawshark based on its number of rostral teeth.

[31] It can be distinguished from other sawsharks by its location, and by having its barbels closer to its mouth than the end of its rostrum.

The species is ovoviviparous and tends to give birth to a litter of 7–14 pups biannually.