Anoxypristis cuspidata (Latham, 1794)

Knifetooth Sawfish

Pristis cuspidatus Latham, 1794: 279, pl. 26 (fig 3). Neotype: MNHN 0000-1250. Type locality: Malabar, India.

Local synonymy: Platypristis cuspidata— Filewood, 1973: 10 (PNG). Platypristis cuspidatus— Filewood, 1973: 10 (PNG). Anoxypristis cuspidata — Kailola, 1987: 24 (Daru; Gulf of Papua; Hall Sound; Yule Island; Bootless Bay; Orangerie Bay; Darapap; south of Ramu River mouth); White et al., 2017a: 277 (PNG); White et al., 2018: 192, figs (PNG). Anoxypristis cuspidatus — Taniuchi & Shimizu, 1991: 5 (Oriomo River Estuary).

PNG voucher material: (3 spec.) FUMT ̄P10855, male 1182 mm TL, Oriomo River Estuary, Western Province, 24 Sep. 1989; KFRS E.619, female 1330 mm TL, west of Avirara, Gulf of Papua, 8°18’39” S, 146°11’27” E, 12–14 m depth, 27 Aug. 2015; KFRS E.796, female embryo 570 mm TL, Nigoherm Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, 0°33’ S, 144°10’ E.

Remarks: First recorded from PNG by Filewood (1973). White et al. (2017a) summarises sawfish records from PNG but most survey reports only record ‘sawfish’ with species verification not possible. Dried fins observed from coastal fisheries during recent surveys in the Gulf and Western Provinces; whole specimens observed in prawn trawl bycatch during recent surveys; commonly caught at the mouth of the Sepik River and off Broken Water Bay in East Sepik Province. An additional 16 specimens (9 registered lots) from the KFRS collection are considered lost or destroyed.