Sawfish in Bimini

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Sawfish in Bimini

Grant Johnson, Activities Director at Bimini Sands

Few of the animals found around Bimini are as bizarre, or rare, as the sawfish. With seven different species of sawfish found around the world, the Bahamas is home to the largest, and possibly the rarest of them all. The Smalltooth Sawfish is listed globally as a "critically endangered" species, and Bimini's shallow lagoons provide crucial habitat for this amazing fish.

smalltooth sawfish

The sawfish gets its name, quite obviously, from the long toothy projection that extends off the front of its head. This saw is called a "rostrum." And while the rostrum looks like a dangerous weapon, it is most commonly used to catch small fish which are a major component of the sawfish’s diet. Sawfish hunt by impaling or stunning small fish with swift side-to-side swipes of the rostrum.

Over the years people around Bimini have reported seeing sawfish up to 16-18 ft long, though they can actually grow to over 20 ft in total length. While they are one of the largest fish in the Bahamas, they pose no threat to people. Over-fishing and habitat loss are the two threats that have pushed the sawfish towards the edge of extinction, but hopefully with more information available to the public, we can protect the sawfish for decades to come.