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A group of south Florida fishermen caught a rare sawfish over the weekend near the Boynton Inlet.
Dustin Richter said the fish was more than 10 feet long and weighed around 500 pounds.
“I kinda got to the light and we saw the fish, realized it was a sawfish,” Richter told the station.
“We were amazed, because it was 11 feet long and the bill was 4 feet long and it was just a crazy find,” Richter said.
Sawfish are named for their long, thin snouts that are covered with saw-like teeth. The snouts, called a rostrum, are used to stun and kill their prey, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are not considered dangerous to humans and are usually found in shallow waters near the coasts of Florida and Australia.
But finding sawfish, which are listed as an endangered species, is a once in a lifetime occurrence. Their numbers have dwindled due to their habitat being destroyed or from repeated capture. Sawfish were once frequently sought after for their meat, according to the NOAA.
They are now harvested for their saws, fins and teeth in unlawful animal trade organizations.
Richter and his friends released the sawfish back into the water, but not before Richter was able to get a tooth from the fish’s rostrum.
Agencies/Canadajournal
