Sawfish are related to sharks and rays. Their most striking appearance is a long, toothy snout. They possess a cartilaginous skeleton and no swim bladder. They are the sole family Pristidae of the order Pristiformes.
Despite their fearsome appearance, sawfish spend most of the day resting on the sea-floor. At night they use their snout to detect and then rake-out prey. Sawfishes are most commonly found in muddy water. Both freshwater and saltwater species exist.