Atlantic GuitarfishorSmalltooth Sawfish
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Atlantic Guitarfish
Half shark, half ray — a flattened, freckled guitar body that sweeps into a shark's tail.
Atlantic guitarfish, next to smalltooth sawfish: no saw — just the flattened body.
Smalltooth Sawfish
A ray wearing a chainsaw — flattened shark-like body led by a long, toothed saw. Nothing else looks like it.
Smalltooth sawfish, next to Atlantic guitarfish: carries a long toothed saw.
Side by side
| Atlantic Guitarfish | Smalltooth Sawfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pseudobatos lentiginosus | Pristis pectinata |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 4.44 lb · Texas (1998) | — |
| On the table | Release it — protected in Florida waters. | Endangered — a federal crime to harm or keep one. |
| Rules of its own in | 3 states | 6 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 6 of 6 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, Atlantic guitarfish is No size limit, 3 per person and smalltooth sawfish is Harvest prohibited, Zero. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Atlantic Guitarfish: size · bag · season | Smalltooth Sawfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit3 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · likely · checked | Harvest prohibitedZeroClosed year-roundPut it backAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit2 fish or 100 lb per dayOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No harvestNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backLDWF 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No harvestPossession prohibitedClosed year-roundPut it backSC DNR 2026 · likely · checked |
| Texas | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | No harvest0Closed year-roundPut it backTPWD 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, Atlantic guitarfish or smalltooth sawfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell Atlantic guitarfish from smalltooth sawfish?
Atlantic Guitarfish: Half shark, half ray — a flattened, freckled guitar body that sweeps into a shark's tail. Smalltooth Sawfish: A ray wearing a chainsaw — flattened shark-like body led by a long, toothed saw. Nothing else looks like it. Smalltooth sawfish, next to Atlantic guitarfish: carries a long toothed saw. Atlantic guitarfish, next to smalltooth sawfish: no saw — just the flattened body.
Which is better to eat, Atlantic guitarfish or smalltooth sawfish?
Atlantic Guitarfish: Release it — protected in Florida waters. Smalltooth Sawfish: Endangered — a federal crime to harm or keep one.
Do Atlantic guitarfish and smalltooth sawfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 6 state rulebooks. Alabama: Atlantic guitarfish No size limit, 3 per person, smalltooth sawfish Harvest prohibited, Zero; Florida (Atlantic): Atlantic guitarfish No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, smalltooth sawfish No harvest, No harvest; Florida (Gulf): Atlantic guitarfish No size limit, 2 fish or 100 lb per day, smalltooth sawfish No harvest, No harvest; Louisiana: Atlantic guitarfish no rule of its own, smalltooth sawfish No harvest, No harvest or possession; South Carolina: Atlantic guitarfish no rule of its own, smalltooth sawfish No harvest, Possession prohibited; and more in the table on this page.