Smalltooth Sawfish
Pristis pectinata
How to tell it
A ray wearing a chainsaw — flattened shark-like body led by a long, toothed saw. Nothing else looks like it.
- Not a atlantic guitarfish? That one no saw — just the flattened body. (Atlantic Guitarfish)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Harvest prohibited | Zero | Closed year-roundAL MRD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No harvest | No harvest | Closed year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Florida (Gulf) | No harvest | No harvest | Closed year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Louisiana | No harvest | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundLDWF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| South Carolina | No harvest | Possession prohibited | Closed year-roundSC DNR 2026 · likely · checked | Put it back |
| Texas | No harvest | 0 | Closed year-roundTPWD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
Not specifically regulated in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Endangered — a federal crime to harm or keep one.
In the app
Point the camera at a smalltooth sawfish and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about smalltooth sawfish
Where is smalltooth sawfish harvest prohibited?
Alabama, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas. Release it there.
How do you tell smalltooth sawfish from atlantic guitarfish?
Smalltooth Sawfish has this: A ray wearing a chainsaw — flattened shark-like body led by a long, toothed saw. Nothing else looks like it.. Atlantic Guitarfish no saw — just the flattened body.