Rostrum

A projecting snout or beak. In sawfish, it is an elongated blade edged with tooth-like rostral teeth.

Sawfish: A family of rays distinguished by an elongated, toothed snout. The rostrum is the defining feature of sawfishes.
Electroreception: The detection of electrical fields by specialized sensory systems. Rostral sensory organs help sawfish locate animals hidden in sediment.
Longcomb sawfish: A sawfish species with a long, narrow rostrum bearing many rostral teeth. Its especially elongated blade illustrates variation among sawfish rostra.
Sawfish conservation: Efforts to protect sawfish populations, habitats, and breeding grounds. The distinctive rostrum makes sawfish vulnerable to entanglement and targeted capture.
Rostral teeth: Tooth-like structures attached along the sides of a sawfish’s rostrum. These structures give the sawfish rostrum its toothed edge.
Prey capture: The behaviors and structures animals use to seize and consume food. Sawfish swing the rostrum through schools of fish to injure or stun prey.
Smalltooth sawfish: A large sawfish species with relatively small rostral teeth. Its name highlights that rostral teeth differ in size among species.
Rostrum entanglement: The trapping of a sawfish’s toothed snout in fishing gear or other obstructions. The rostrum’s projecting teeth can snag nets and lines.
Rostral cartilage: Cartilage forming the elongated central support of a sawfish’s rostrum. It gives the blade its underlying structure.
Predator defense: Adaptations and behaviors that reduce an animal’s risk of being attacked. Sawfish can use the toothed rostrum against potential threats.

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