Order PRISTIOPHORIFORMES
Sawsharks
The only sharks with a flattened blade-like snout edged
with various-sized slender saw-teeth and a pair of rostral
barbels on underside of snout in front of nostrils. Five or 6
pairs of gill slits on sides of head; no anal fin; and 2 spineless
dorsal fins. Sawfishes, Family No. 22, are batoids, and differ
from sawsharks in having larger pectoral fins expanded
forwards onto the sides of the head, gill slits on the
underside uf the head, larger, stronger and more uniformly
sized teeth on the sides of the snout, and no barbels.
Ovoviviparous. Adults reach 137 cm. A single family of
mostly deep-water benthic sharks currently found in the
Indo-West Pacific and western North Atlantic.
Family No. 20: PRISTIOPHORIDAE
by A.J. Bass & p.e. Heemstra
Sawsharks
Saaghaaie
Snout produced into a long flat rostrum ("saw") armed
with needle-like "teeth" along each edge; 2 long barbels on
underside of "saw"; 5 or 6 small gill slits on each side of head
in front of pectoral fins. No nictitans; spiracles large. Two
dorsal fins without spines; no anal fin.
Saaghaaie
Two genera with 5 or 6 species; Pristiophorus Miiller &
Henle, 1837, from the West Pacific has 5 gill slits.
Genus Pliotrema Regan, 1906
Six gill slits, 1 species, endemic in our area.
20.1 Pliotrema warreni
Regan, 1906
PLA.TE4
Sixgill sawshark
Seskief-saaghaai
Pliotrema warreni Regan, 1906: I, PI. 1 (Natal, South Africa); Smith,
SFSA No. 57*; Bass et aI., 1975: 20, Fig. 11, PI. 8. Pristiophorus cirratus
(non Latham): Smith, SFSA No. 56. (The single record of this species in
South African waters is based on a specimen from False Bay that was misidentified by Boulenger and, some years later, was used by Regan as one
of the 2 type-specimens for his new species, Pliotrema warreni.)
Teeth in mouth small, unicuspid, in several functional series.
Pale brown above, white below. Ovoviviparous; the
"teeth" on the rostrum of unborn pups are folded back beneath the skin; 7-17 pups per litter are born at about 35 cm;
males mature at 80 cm and females at 110 cm; attains 136
cm. Recorded from False Bay to southern Mozambique.
Commonly taken in bottom trawls at depths of 60 - 430 m.
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T
N
06066060066 6 60000
20.1 Pliotrema warren;: dorsal view of 36 em immature male (Natal). N, T & d as in 2.1.
106
d
~O
d:;
Sawsharks
The only sharks with a flattened blade-like snout edged
with various-sized slender saw-teeth and a pair of rostral
barbels on underside of snout in front of nostrils. Five or 6
pairs of gill slits on sides of head; no anal fin; and 2 spineless
dorsal fins. Sawfishes, Family No. 22, are batoids, and differ
from sawsharks in having larger pectoral fins expanded
forwards onto the sides of the head, gill slits on the
underside uf the head, larger, stronger and more uniformly
sized teeth on the sides of the snout, and no barbels.
Ovoviviparous. Adults reach 137 cm. A single family of
mostly deep-water benthic sharks currently found in the
Indo-West Pacific and western North Atlantic.
Family No. 20: PRISTIOPHORIDAE
by A.J. Bass & p.e. Heemstra
Sawsharks
Saaghaaie
Snout produced into a long flat rostrum ("saw") armed
with needle-like "teeth" along each edge; 2 long barbels on
underside of "saw"; 5 or 6 small gill slits on each side of head
in front of pectoral fins. No nictitans; spiracles large. Two
dorsal fins without spines; no anal fin.
Saaghaaie
Two genera with 5 or 6 species; Pristiophorus Miiller &
Henle, 1837, from the West Pacific has 5 gill slits.
Genus Pliotrema Regan, 1906
Six gill slits, 1 species, endemic in our area.
20.1 Pliotrema warreni
Regan, 1906
PLA.TE4
Sixgill sawshark
Seskief-saaghaai
Pliotrema warreni Regan, 1906: I, PI. 1 (Natal, South Africa); Smith,
SFSA No. 57*; Bass et aI., 1975: 20, Fig. 11, PI. 8. Pristiophorus cirratus
(non Latham): Smith, SFSA No. 56. (The single record of this species in
South African waters is based on a specimen from False Bay that was misidentified by Boulenger and, some years later, was used by Regan as one
of the 2 type-specimens for his new species, Pliotrema warreni.)
Teeth in mouth small, unicuspid, in several functional series.
Pale brown above, white below. Ovoviviparous; the
"teeth" on the rostrum of unborn pups are folded back beneath the skin; 7-17 pups per litter are born at about 35 cm;
males mature at 80 cm and females at 110 cm; attains 136
cm. Recorded from False Bay to southern Mozambique.
Commonly taken in bottom trawls at depths of 60 - 430 m.
vvvvvvvQVyvyvV0G>C:?00
T
N
06066060066 6 60000
20.1 Pliotrema warren;: dorsal view of 36 em immature male (Natal). N, T & d as in 2.1.
106
d
~O
d:;