At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Sources disagree — IUCN's 2022 global assessment says Critically EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The dwarf sawfish is the smallest sawfish, a ray with a tooth-studded snout. It is assessed as Endangered.
Like other sawfishes, its saw snags easily in fishing gear.
Range & habitat
Coastal and estuarine waters of the Indo-West Pacific, much reduced.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Entanglement in fishing nets
- Habitat loss
- Past fishing
Why it matters
One of the threatened sawfishes, the dwarf sawfish is a priority for protecting tropical coasts and estuaries from destructive fishing.
Sources
Sources for Dwarf Sawfish
- IUCN Red List — look up Dwarf Sawfish (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the dwarf sawfish different from other sawfishes?
It is the smallest of the sawfishes, though still a sizeable ray, and shares the long, tooth-edged snout that makes all sawfishes prone to entanglement.
Why is the dwarf sawfish Endangered?
Published assessments cite entanglement in fishing nets, habitat loss, and past fishing. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.