1. (Blacktip Shark and Smalltooth Sawfish) James Gill
Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Superclass: Gnathostomata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order : Carcharhiniformes & Pristiformes
(Blacktip Shark and Smalltooth Sawfish)
James Gill

2. Order Carcharhiniformes:
Largest Order of sharks containing 270 different species including catsharks, swellsharks, and the sandbar shark
Known as ground sharks
Nictitating membrane over each eye
Two dorsal fins
An anal fin
Five gill slits
Family
Family Carcharhinidae:
Known as Requiem Sharks
Migratory
Live-bearing sharks (viviparous)
Responsible for most attacks on humas
Live in warm seas

3. Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)
Biological Facts:
Females are viviparous, usually bearing 4-7 pups
Usually grow to be about 4.9ft long
90% of their diet is fish, the other 10% being crustaceans and cephalopods
Favored habitats are island lagoons, muddy bays coral reef drop-offs and mangrove swamps.
Most active at dawn and dusk
Usually live in sexually segregated schools until mating season
Most bites can be pinned on blacktip sharks but there has never been a recorded fatal incident.
Seasonal migration from North Carolina in the summer to Florida in the winter off the east coast of the US
Nearly threatened but not endangered
Fun Facts:
Known to jump out of the water and spin in order to disorient schools of fish for feeding
Known to utilize asexual reproduction when no males are present (automictic parthenogenesis)
Most timid of the large Requiem Sharks and will observe humans from a safe distance.

4. Blacktip VS Blacktip REEF sharks
Carcharhinus limbatus
Timid but curious, will watch humans
Closer to reef drop-offs, sometimes mangrove swamps
Usually 4.9 feet
Blacktip Reef:
Carcharhinus melanopterus
Timid and skittish, very difficult to approach
Shallow inshore waters and sandy flats
Usually 5.3 feet

5. Order Pristiformes: Biological Facts: Known as carpenter sharks
Only 1 living family(Pristidae) and 7 species
long, narrow, flattened rostrum
Biological Facts:
Females are ovoviviparous
Little is known about the reproduction habits of the sawfish. They are estimated to mate once every two years, with an average litter of around eight. They mature very slowly (12 years) with low reproduction rates
Usually 7.6 meters in length
Small fish, crustaceans and mollusks
shallow tropical and subtropical waters in coastal parts of the Atlantic
All species are nocturnal
Rostrum is used for a multitude of purposes
All species are critically endangered

6. Differences between sawFISH and sawSHARKS
Gill openings on underside
No barbels
All teeth are the same size
Shallow, costal waters
Relatively large (up to 23feet)
Sawsharks:
Gill openings on sides
Barbels
Alternating large and small saw teeth
Deep offshore waters
Relatively small (about 5feet)

7. Fun with Rostrums- a Multi Purpose tool
A sawfish’s saw is made up of thousands of sensory organs that allow them to monitor the movements of other organisms by measuring the electrical fields they emit. Because the sensory organs are more densely packed on the dorsal side of its saw, the fish can create an image of the three-dimensional area above it, even in waters of low-visibility, which helps explain its bottom-dwelling nature. Utilizing their saw as an extended sensing device, sawfish are able to “view” their entire surroundings by maintaining a position low to the sea floor.
Smalltooth sawfish have been observed to approach large shoals of fish while striking their saw rapidly from side to side. The sawfish has also been observed to attack larger prey by using their weapon to dislodge large pieces of meat from victims. They then use their serrated saw teeth to tear through flesh.
The rostrum’s “teeth” are called deticles. Because the fish can swing its body so quickly, it also acts as a defense mechanism to scare predators away.
The pups’ rostral blades are enclosed by a sheath – so as to protect the mother during the birthing process – which eventually disintegrates and falls off.