Fish nocturnal

Common Sawshark

Pristiophorus cirratus

Meet the ocean's most unique carpenter: the Common Sawshark. With its tooth-lined snout and sensitive barbels, this fascinating bottom-dweller is a master of the Australian seafloor.

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Quick Identification

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Size

1.1–1.5 meters (3.6–4.9 feet) in length; typically weighs 1–3 kg (2.2–6.6 lbs)

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Colors

Mottled sandy-brown to grey-brown upper body with dark blotches and spots; creamy white underside

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Key Features

Long, blade-like snout edged with sharp, uneven teeth
Two long, sensitive sensory barbels located halfway down the snout
Five gill slits located on the sides of the head
Slender, slightly flattened body with two large dorsal fins and no anal fin

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern nocturnal

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Peak hours 9 PM - 4 AM

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Season Year-round, with higher sightings in coastal shelves during winter months

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Diet Small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods; uses its saw to stir up sediment and disable prey

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Habitat Coastal marine waters, typically over sandy or gravelly bottoms at depths of 40-300 meters

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Behavior

The Common Sawshark is a specialized bottom-dwelling predator that uses its remarkable 'saw' for both sensing and hunting. They are largely nocturnal, spending the daylight hours resting on the seafloor or in deeper waters before moving to hunt as the sun sets. While they appear intimidating, they are generally non-aggressive toward humans and prefer to keep their distance, using their sensitive rostrum to navigate the murky depths.

Socially, these sharks are often found in loose groups, particularly in areas with rich sandy or gravelly substrates. They are highly attuned to their environment, using their barbels to 'taste' and feel for prey hidden beneath the sediment. When a meal is located, they use rapid, lateral swipes of their snout to stun or impale small fish and crustaceans before consuming them.

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Camera Tips

Capturing a Common Sawshark on camera requires a transition from traditional land-based trail cams to an underwater setup, specifically a Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) system. If you have a coastal 'backyard' or access to a pier in Southern Australia, you can deploy a waterproof camera housing weighted to sit firmly on the seafloor. Focus your efforts on sandy patches near reef edges where these sharks are known to forage for buried prey. The camera should be positioned about 30 to 50 centimeters off the bottom, angled slightly downward to catch the shark as it cruises the substrate.

Bait is the most effective way to draw a Common Sawshark into your camera's frame. Use a mesh bag or a perforated PVC pipe filled with crushed oily fish like sardines, mullet, or mackerel. This creates a scent plume that the shark's sensitive barbels and nostrils can track from a distance. Because these sharks are most active in the dark, an infrared (IR) light source is essential. Standard white lights may startle them or attract too many small baitfish that can obscure the lens, whereas IR allows for a natural look at their nighttime foraging behavior.

When setting your camera, use a wide-angle lens to ensure you capture the full length of the shark, as their long rostrum can often lead them to bump into the camera before the body is in view. High-frame-rate settings are beneficial, as the 'swiping' motion they use to hunt is incredibly fast and can appear as a blur on standard settings. If you are deploying from a dock, ensure your tether is secure and use a buoy to mark the location. Be sure to check local marine regulations regarding baiting and underwater equipment to ensure your citizen science project is both safe and legal.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Common Sawshark.

Shortnose Sawshark

Has a shorter, broader rostrum and its barbels are located closer to the tip of the snout than the Common Sawshark.

Green Sawfish

Much larger (up to 7 meters), lacks barbels, and has gill slits located on the underside of the body rather than the sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Sawsharks are primarily nocturnal. They are most active during the middle of the night, from roughly 9 PM to 4 AM, when they move across the seafloor to hunt for small fish and crustaceans.

Since they are marine fish, you can only 'attract' them if your property is on the coast of Southern Australia. Using a weighted, baited underwater camera (BRUV) with oily fish like sardines is the best method to draw them into view.

Their diet consists mainly of small bottom-dwelling fish, squid, and crustaceans like shrimp and crabs. They use their saw to stir up the sand and strike at prey.

They are common in the coastal waters of Southern Australia, including regions near suburban coastal towns from New South Wales to Western Australia, though they usually stay at depths below 40 meters.

The easiest way is to look at the gills. Common Sawsharks have gill slits on the sides of their neck, whereas Sawfish (which are actually rays) have gills on their underside. Sawsharks also have a pair of long barbels on their snout, which sawfish lack.

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