The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
97-604: Sawfish , also known as carpenter sharks , are a family of rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum , or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged in a way that resembles a saw . They are among the largest fish , with some species reaching lengths of about 7–7.6 m (23–25 ft). They are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions in coastal marine and brackish estuarine waters, as well as freshwater rivers and lakes. All species are critically endangered. They should not be confused with sawsharks (order Pristiophoriformes) or
194-493: A nomen oblitum , and the junior name declared a nomen protectum . This rule exists primarily to prevent the confusion that would result if a well-known name, with a large accompanying body of literature, were to be replaced by a completely unfamiliar name. An example is the European land snail Petasina edentula ( Draparnaud , 1805). In 2002, researchers found that an older name Helix depilata Draparnaud, 1801 referred to
291-475: A clasper , organs at the pelvic fins, into the female to fertilize the eggs. As known from many elasmobranchs , the mating appears to be rough, with the sawfish often sustaining lacerations from its partner's saw. However, through genetic testing it has been shown that at least the smalltooth sawfish also can reproduce by parthenogenesis where no male is involved and the offspring are clones of their mother. In Florida , United States, it appears that about 3% of
388-827: A corkscrew , called a spiral valve , which increases the surface area available for food absorption. Sawfish are large to very large fish, but the maximum size of each species is generally uncertain. The smalltooth sawfish , largetooth sawfish and green sawfish are among the world's largest fish . They can certainly all reach about 6 m (20 ft) in total length and there are reports of individuals larger than 7 m (23 ft), but these are often labeled with some uncertainty. Typically reported maximum total lengths of these three are from 7 to 7.6 m (23–25 ft). Large individuals may weigh as much as 500–600 kg (1,102–1,323 lb), or possibly even more. Old unconfirmed and highly questionable reports of much larger individuals do exist, including one that reputedly had
485-519: A distance of about 40 cm (16 in). Some waters where sawfish live are very murky, limiting the possibility of hunting by sight. Sawfish are predators that feed on fish, crustaceans and molluscs . Old stories of sawfish attacking large prey such as whales and dolphins by cutting out pieces of flesh are now considered to be wholly unsubstantiated. Humans are far too large to be considered potential prey. In captivity they are typically fed ad libitum or in set amounts that (per week) equal 1–4% of
582-437: A junior subjective synonym. Objective synonyms are common at the rank of genera, because for various reasons two genera may contain the same type species; these are objective synonyms. In many cases researchers established new generic names because they thought this was necessary or did not know that others had previously established another genus for the same group of species. An example is the genus Pomatia Beck, 1837, which
679-554: A lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching a consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called
776-505: A largetooth or smalltooth sawfish) was captured off Central America at a depth in excess of 175 m (575 ft). The dwarf and largetooth sawfish are strictly warm-water species that generally live in waters that are 25–32 °C (77–90 °F) and 24–32 °C (75–90 °F) respectively. The green and smalltooth sawfish also occur in colder waters, in the latter down to 16–18 °C (61–64 °F), as illustrated by their (original) distributions that ranged further north and south of
873-426: A length of 9.14 m (30 ft), another that had a weight of 2,400 kg (5,300 lb), and a third that was 9.45 m (31 ft) long and weighed 2,591 kg (5,712 lb). The two remaining species, the dwarf sawfish and narrow sawfish , are considerably smaller, but are still large fish with a maximum total length of at least 3.2 m (10.5 ft) and 3.5 m (11.5 ft) respectively. In
970-428: A listing of "synonyms", a "synonymy", often contains designations that for some reason did not make it as a formal name, such as manuscript names, or even misidentifications (although it is now the usual practice to list misidentifications separately ). Although the basic principles are fairly similar, the treatment of synonyms in botanical nomenclature differs in detail and terminology from zoological nomenclature, where
1067-860: A mythological representation of fecundity and prosperity. The image takes its form from an Akan and Baoule bronze weight, used for exchanges in the trade of gold powder. Sawfish are popular in public aquariums , but require very large tanks. In a review of 10 North American and European public aquariums that kept sawfish, their tanks were all very large and ranged from about 1,500,000 to 24,200,000 L (400,000–6,390,000 US gal). Individuals in public aquariums often function as "ambassadors" for sawfish and their conservation plight. In captivity they are quite robust, appear to grow faster than their wild counterparts (perhaps due to consistent access to food). Some individuals have lived for decades, but breeding them has proven difficult. In 2012, four smalltooth sawfish pups were born at Atlantis Paradise Island in
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#17327810381591164-539: A pair of long barbels on the rostrum ("saw"). Sawfish have two relatively high and distinct dorsal fins , wing-like pectoral and pelvic fins , and a tail with a distinct upper lobe and a variably sized lower lobe (lower lobe relatively large in Anoxypristis ; small to absent in Pristis sawfish). The position of the first dorsal fin compared to the pelvic fins varies and is a useful feature for separating some of
1261-403: A prey item such as a fish is located in the open water, the sawfish uses the first method, making a rapid swipe at the prey with its saw to incapacitate it. It is then brought to the seabed and eaten. The "saw on substrate" is similar, but used on prey at the seabed. The saw is highly streamlined and when swiped it causes very little water movement. The final method involves pinning the prey against
1358-702: A sawfish. In cartoons and humorous popular culture, the sawfish—particularly its rostrum ("nose")—has been employed as a sort of living tool. Examples of this can be found in Vicke Viking and Fighting Fantasy volume " Demons of the Deep ". A stylized sawfish was chosen by the Central Bank of the West African States to appear on coins and banknotes of the CFA currency. This was due to it being
1455-420: A single living species that historically was included in Pristis , but the two genera are morphologically and genetically highly distinct. Today Pristis contains four living, valid species divided into two species groups . Three species are in the smalltooth group, and there is only a single in the largetooth group. Three poorly defined species were formerly recognized in the largetooth group, but in 2013 it
1552-718: A single rostral tooth sold as cockfighting spurs in Peru or Ecuador had a value of up to US$ 220. Secondary uses are the meat for consumption and the skin for leather. Historically the saws were used as weapons (large saws) and combs (small saws). Oil from the liver was prized for use in boat repairs and street lights, and as recent as the 1920s in Florida it was regarded as the best fish oil for consumption. Sawfish fishing goes back several thousand years, but until relatively recently it typically involved traditional low-intensity methods such as simple hook-and-line or spearing . In most regions
1649-440: A species is moved to a different genus, a variety is moved to a different species, etc. Synonyms also come about when the codes of nomenclature change, so that older names are no longer acceptable; for example, Erica herbacea L. has been rejected in favour of Erica carnea L. and is thus its synonym. To the general user of scientific names, in fields such as agriculture, horticulture, ecology, general science, etc.,
1746-434: A species, or simple ignorance about an earlier description, may lead a biologist to describe a newly discovered specimen as a new species. A common reason for objective synonyms at this level is the creation of a replacement name. A junior synonym can be given precedence over a senior synonym, primarily when the senior name has not been used since 1899, and the junior name is in common use. The older name may be declared to be
1843-418: A synonym is a name that was previously used as the correct scientific name (in handbooks and similar sources) but which has been displaced by another scientific name, which is now regarded as correct. Thus Oxford Dictionaries Online defines the term as "a taxonomic name which has the same application as another, especially one which has been superseded and is no longer valid". In handbooks and general texts, it
1940-418: A synonym is not interchangeable with the name of which it is a synonym. In taxonomy, synonyms are not equals, but have a different status. For any taxon with a particular circumscription , position, and rank, only one scientific name is considered to be the correct one at any given time (this correct name is to be determined by applying the relevant code of nomenclature ). A synonym cannot exist in isolation: it
2037-481: A taxon, some of this (including species descriptions, distribution, ecology and more) may well have been published under names now regarded as outdated (i.e., synonyms) and so it is again useful to know a list of historic synonyms which may have been used for a given current (valid) taxon name. Objective synonyms refer to taxa with the same type and same rank (more or less the same taxon, although circumscription may vary, even widely). This may be species-group taxa of
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#17327810381592134-403: A total length of 3.7–4.15 m (12.1–13.6 ft), in the largetooth sawfish at 2.8–3 m (9.2–9.8 ft), in the dwarf sawfish about 2.55–2.6 m (8.4–8.5 ft), and in the narrow sawfish at 2–2.25 m (6.6–7.4 ft). This means that the generation length is about 4.6 years in the narrow sawfish and 14.6–17.2 years in the remaining species. Mating involves the male inserting
2231-489: Is habitat destruction . Coastal and estuarine habitats, including mangrove and seagrass meadows , are often degraded by human developments and pollution, and these are important habitats for sawfish, especially their young. In a study of juvenile sawfish in Western Australia's Fitzroy River about 60% had bite marks from bull sharks or crocodiles. Changes to river flows, such as by dams or droughts, can increase
2328-452: Is "sawskates". Sawfish are dull brownish, greyish, greenish or yellowish above, but the shade varies and dark individuals can be almost black. The underside is pale, and typically whitish. The most distinctive feature of sawfish is their saw-like rostrum with a row of whitish teeth (rostral teeth) on either side of it. The rostrum is an extension of the chondrocranium ("skull"), made of cartilage and covered in skin. The rostrum length
2425-459: Is a single recent possible record from the Arabian region). The saw has been described as sawfish's Achilles' heel , as it easily becomes entangled in fishing nets. Sawfish can also be difficult or dangerous to release from nets, meaning that some fishers will kill them even before bringing them aboard the boat, or cut off the saw to keep it/release the fish. Because it is their main hunting device,
2522-493: Is always an alternative to a different scientific name. Given that the correct name of a taxon depends on the taxonomic viewpoint used (resulting in a particular circumscription, position and rank) a name that is one taxonomist's synonym may be another taxonomist's correct name (and vice versa ). Synonyms may arise whenever the same taxon is described and named more than once, independently. They may also arise when existing taxa are changed, as when two taxa are joined to become one,
2619-541: Is an increased salinity. There are reports of narrow sawfish seen far upriver, but these need confirmation and may involve misidentifications of other species of sawfish. Sawfish are mostly found in relatively shallow waters, typically at depths less than 10 m (33 ft), and occasionally less than 1 m (3.3 ft). Young prefer very shallow places and are often found in water only 25 cm (10 in) deep. Sawfish can occur offshore, but are rare deeper than 100 m (330 ft). An unidentified sawfish (either
2716-778: Is entirely acceptable, but among some (the Fula , Serer and Wolof people) it is taboo . In the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria , the saws of sawfish (known as oki in Ijaw and neighbouring languages) are often used in masquerades . In Asia, sawfish are a powerful symbol in many cultures. Asian shamans use sawfish rostrums for exorcisms and other ceremonies to repel demons and disease. They are believed to protect houses from ghosts when hung over doorways. Illustrations of sawfish are often found at Buddhist temples in Thailand . In
2813-443: Is known about the reproductive habits of the sawfish, but all species are ovoviviparous with the adult females giving birth to live young once a year or every second year. In general, males appear to reach sexual maturity at a slightly younger age and smaller size than females. As far as known, sexual maturity is reached at an age of 7–12 years in Pristis and 2–3 years in Anoxypristis . In the smalltooth and green sawfish this equals
2910-455: Is no evidence supporting any of these uses. The saws are used in ceremonies and as curiosities. Until relatively recently many saws were sold to visiting tourists, or through antique stores or shell shops, but they are now mostly sold online, often illegally. In 2007 it was estimated that the fins and saw from a single sawfish potentially could earn a fisher more than US$ 5,000 in Kenya and in 2014
3007-410: Is not correct for the circumscription , position, and rank of the taxon as considered in the particular botanical publication. It is always "a synonym of the correct scientific name", but which name is correct depends on the taxonomic opinion of the author. In botany the various kinds of synonyms are: In botany, although a synonym must be a formally accepted scientific name (a validly published name):
Sawfish - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-438: Is peg-like in Pristis sawfish, and flattened and broadly triangular in Anoxypristis . A combination of features, including fins and rostrum, are typically used to separate the species, but it is possible to do it by the rostrum alone. Sawfish have a strong shark-like body, a flat underside and a flat head. Pristis sawfish have a rough sandpaper-like skin texture because of the covering of dermal denticles, but in Anoxypristis
3201-460: Is speculated that seasonal variations in water temperature, salinity and photoperiod are necessary to encourage breeding. Artificial insemination , as already practiced with a few captive sharks, is also being considered. Tracking studies indicate that if sawfish are released to the wild after spending a period in captivity (for example, if they outgrow their exhibit), they rapidly adopt a movement pattern similar to that of fully wild sawfish. Among
3298-400: Is typically about one quarter to one third of the total length of the fish, but it varies depending on species, and sometimes with age and sex. The rostral teeth are not teeth in the traditional sense, but heavily modified dermal denticles . The rostral teeth grow in size throughout the life of the sawfish and a tooth is not replaced if it is lost. In Pristis sawfish, the teeth are found along
3395-402: Is used to draw water past the gills . The gill slits , five on each side, are placed on the underside of the body near the base of the pectoral fins . The position of the gill openings separates them from the superficially similar yet generally much smaller (up to c. 1.5 m or 5 ft long) sawsharks , in which the slits are on the side of the neck. Unlike sawfish, sawsharks also have
3492-411: Is useful to have synonyms mentioned as such after the current scientific name, so as to avoid confusion. For example, if the much-advertised name change should go through and the scientific name of the fruit fly were changed to Sophophora melanogaster , it would be very helpful if any mention of this name was accompanied by "(syn. Drosophila melanogaster )". Synonyms used in this way may not always meet
3589-481: The Genera Plantarum of George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker this word ordo was used for what now is given the rank of family. Families serve as valuable units for evolutionary, paleontological, and genetic studies due to their relatively greater stability compared to lower taxonomic levels like genera and species. Junior synonym Unlike synonyms in other contexts, in taxonomy
3686-547: The Bissagos Islands off West Africa, dancing dressed as sawfish and other sea creatures is part of men's coming-of-age ceremonies. In Gambia , the saws indicate courage; the more saws are on display in a house, the more courageous the owner is seen to be. In Senegal , the Lebu people believe the saw can protect their family, house and livestock. In the same general region, they are recognized as ancestral spirits who use
3783-645: The IUCN . They are hunted for their fins ( shark fin soup ), use of parts as traditional medicine , their teeth and saw. They also face habitat loss . Sawfish have been listed by CITES since 2007, restricting international trade in them and their parts. They are protected in Australia, the United States and several other countries, meaning that sawfish caught by accident have to be released and violations can be punished with hefty fines. The scientific names of
3880-414: The Pristis sawfish it has been estimated that it varies from about 30 to more than 50 years depending on the exact species. The rostrum (saw), unique among jawed fish , plays a significant role in both locating and capturing prey. The head and rostrum contain thousands of sensory organs, the ampullae of Lorenzini , that allow the sawfish to detect and monitor the movements of other organisms by measuring
3977-591: The Sepik region of New Guinea, locals admire sawfish, but also see them as punishers, who will unleash heavy rainstorms on anyone breaking fishing taboos. Among the Warnindhilyagwa , a group of Indigenous Australians , the ancestral sawfish, Yukwurrirrindangwa and rays created the land. The ancestral sawfish carved out the river of Groote Eylandt with their saws. Among European sailors, sawfish were often feared as animals that could sink ships by piercing/sawing
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4074-485: The electric fields they emit. Electroreception is found in all cartilaginous fishes and some bony fishes. In sawfish the sensory organs are packed most densely on the upper- and underside of the rostrum, varying in position and numbers depending on the species. Utilizing their saw as an extended sensing device, sawfish are able to examine their entire surroundings from a position close to the seafloor. It appears that sawfish can detect potential prey by electroreception from
4171-452: The hull with their saw (claims now known to be entirely untrue), but there are also stories of them saving people. In one case, it was described how a ship almost sank during a storm in Italy in 1573. The sailors prayed and made it safely ashore, where they discovered a sawfish that had "plugged" a hole in the ship with its saw. A sawfish rostrum said to be from this miraculous event is kept at
4268-468: The Bahamas and, in 2023, another three were born at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida; these remain the only times a member of this family has been successfully bred in captivity. Unsuccessful breeding attempts had taken place earlier at the same facility, including a miscarriage in 2003. Nevertheless, it is hoped that this success may be the first step in a captive breeding program for the threatened sawfish. It
4365-488: The authors have inspected the original material; a . that they take on the responsibility for the act of synonymizing the taxa. The accurate use of scientific names, including synonyms, is crucial in biomedical and pharmacological research involving plants. Failure to use correct botanical nomenclature can lead to ambiguity, hinder reproducibility of results, and potentially cause errors in medicine. Best practices for publication suggest that researchers should provide
4462-419: The beginning of § Zoology . The two are related, with only one word difference between their names.) For example, the scientific name of the red imported fire ant , Solenopsis invicta was published by Buren in 1972, who did not know that this species was first named Solenopsis saevissima wagneri by Santschi in 1916; as there were thousands of publications using the name invicta before anyone discovered
4559-421: The correct name is included among synonyms, although as first among equals it is the "senior synonym": Scientific papers may include lists of taxa, synonymizing existing taxa and (in some cases) listing references to them. The status of a synonym may be indicated by symbols, as for instance in a system proposed for use in paleontology by Rudolf Richter. In that system a v before the year would indicate that
4656-649: The currently accepted binomial with author citation, relevant synonyms, and the accepted family name according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III classification. This practice ensures clear communication, allows proper linking of research to existing literature, and provides insight into phylogenetic relationships that may be relevant to shared chemical constituents or physiological effects. Online databases now make it easy for researchers to access correct nomenclature and synonymy information for plant species. The traditional concept of synonymy
4753-500: The entire length of the rostrum, but, in adult Anoxypristis , there are no teeth on the basal one-quarter of the rostrum (about one-sixth in juvenile Anoxypristis ). The number of teeth varies depending on the species and can range from 14 to 37 on each side of the rostrum. It is common for a sawfish to have slightly different tooth counts on each side of its rostrum. (The difference typically does not surpass three.) In some species, females on average have fewer teeth than males. Each tooth
4850-429: The extinct sclerorhynchoids (order Rajiformes) which have a similar appearance, or swordfish (family Xiphiidae) which have a similar name but a very different appearance. Sawfishes are relatively slow breeders and the females give birth to live young. They feed on fish and invertebrates that are detected and captured with the use of their saw. They are generally harmless to humans, but can inflict serious injuries with
4947-542: The family Juglandaceae , but that family is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family— or whether a described family should be acknowledged— is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging a family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to
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#17327810381595044-540: The family as a rank intermediate between order and genus was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). In nineteenth-century works such as the Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and
5141-516: The first two genera within Sclerorhynchoidei and the last two are synonyms of Anoxypristis . The extinct order Sclerorhynchoidei had long rostra with large denticles similar to sawfishes and sawsharks . This feature was convergently evolved , recently proposed as 'pristification', and their closest living relatives are actually skates . While they are often called "sawfishes", the more accurate common name for sclerorhynchoids
5238-614: The five sawfish species, only the four Pristis species are known to be kept in public aquariums. The most common is the largetooth sawfish, with studbooks including 16 individuals in North America in 2014, 5 individuals in Europe in 2013 and 13 individuals in Australia in 2017; this was followed by the green sawfish, with 13 individuals in North America, and 6 in Europe. Both of these species are also kept at public aquariums in Asia, and
5335-730: The four most serious threats today are use in shark fin soup , as traditional medicine , rostral teeth for cockfighting spurs and the saw as a novelty item. Despite being rays rather than sharks, sawfish have some of most prized fins for use in shark fin soup, on level with tiger , mako , blue , porbeagle , thresher , hammerhead , blacktip , sandbar and bull shark . As traditional medicine (especially Chinese medicine , but also known from Mexico, Brazil, Kenya, Eritrea , Yemen , Iran, India and Bangladesh ) sawfish parts, oil or powder have been claimed to work against respiratory ailments, eye problems, rheumatism , pain, inflammation, scabies , skin ulcers, diarrhea and stomach problems, but there
5432-536: The freshwater sawfish, has the greatest affinity for freshwater. For example, it has been reported as far as 1,340 km (830 mi) up the Amazon River and in Lake Nicaragua , and its young spend the first years of their life in freshwater. In contrast, the smalltooth, green and dwarf sawfish typically avoid pure freshwater, but may occasionally move far up rivers, especially during periods when there
5529-401: The junior synonym. (Incidentally, this species has since been reclassified and currently resides in the genus Bubo , as Bubo scandiacus ). One basic principle of zoological nomenclature is that the earliest correctly published (and thus available ) name, the senior synonym, by default takes precedence in naming rights and therefore, unless other restrictions interfere, must be used for
5626-626: The late 1950s or shortly after) from the Mediterranean and these have typically been regarded as vagrants , but a review of records strongly suggests that this sea had a breeding population. In the East Pacific they ranged from Mazatlán (Mexico) to northern Peru. Although the Gulf of California occasionally has been included in their range, the only known Pacific Mexican records of sawfish are from south of its mouth. They were widespread in
5723-418: The long-term survival of saw-less sawfish is highly questionable. In Australia where sawfish have to be released if caught, the narrow sawfish has the highest mortality rate, but it is still almost 50% for dwarf sawfish caught in gill nets . In an attempt of lowering this, a guide to sawfish release has been published. Although fishing is the main cause of the drastic decline in sawfish, another serious problem
5820-528: The major population decline in sawfish started in the 1960s–1980s. This coincided with a major growth in demand of fins for shark fin soup, the expansion of the international shark finning fishing fleet, and a proliferation of modern nylon fishing nets. The exception is the dwarf sawfish which was relatively widespread in the Indo-Pacific, but by the early 1900s it had already disappeared from most of its range, only surviving for certain in Australia (there
5917-462: The mother the saws of the young have a soft cover, which falls off shortly after birth. The pupping grounds are in coastal and estuarine waters. In most species the young generally stay there for the first part of their lives, occasionally moving upriver when there is an increase in salinity. The exception is the largetooth sawfish where the young move upriver into freshwater where they stay for 3–5 years, sometimes as much as 400 km (250 mi) from
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#17327810381596014-589: The only captive dwarf sawfish are in Japan . In 2014, studbooks included 12 smalltooth sawfish in North America, and the only ones kept elsewhere are at a public aquarium in Colombia. Sawfish were once common, with habitat found along the coastline of 90 countries, locally even abundant, but they have declined drastically and are now among the most threatened groups of marine fish. Sawfish and their parts have been used for numerous things. In approximate order of impact,
6111-617: The past it was often reported that the dwarf sawfish only reaches about 1.4 m (4.6 ft), but this is now known to be incorrect. Sawfish are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Historically they ranged in the East Atlantic from Morocco to South Africa, and in the West Atlantic from New York (United States) to Uruguay , including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico . There are old reports (last in
6208-612: The risk faced by sawfish young by bringing them into more contact with predators. Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae ) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to
6305-536: The rules of nomenclature; as for example when an older name is (re)discovered which has priority over the current name. Speaking in general, name changes for nomenclatural reasons have become less frequent over time as the rules of nomenclature allow for names to be conserved, so as to promote stability of scientific names. In zoological nomenclature, codified in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature , synonyms are different scientific names of
6402-408: The same taxonomic rank that pertain to that same taxon . For example, a particular species could, over time, have had two or more species-rank names published for it, while the same is applicable at higher ranks such as genera, families, orders, etc. In each case, the earliest published name is called the senior synonym , while the later name is the junior synonym . In the case where two names for
6499-727: The same general region, sawfish teeth have been found in Mayan graves. The sawfish saw is part of the dancing masks of the Huave and Zapotecs in Oaxaca , Mexico. The Kuna people on the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia consider sawfish as rescuers of drowning people, and protectors against dangerous sea creatures. Also in Panama, sawfish were recognized as containing powerful spirits that could protect humans against supernatural enemies. In
6596-409: The same rank with the same type specimen , genus-group taxa of the same rank with the same type species or if their type species are themselves objective synonyms, of family-group taxa with the same type genus, etc. In the case of subjective synonyms , there is no such shared type, so the synonymy is open to taxonomic judgement, meaning that there is room for debate: one researcher might consider
6693-534: The same species, but this name had never been used after 1899 and was fixed as a nomen oblitum under this rule by Falkner et al. 2002. Such a reversal of precedence is also possible if the senior synonym was established after 1900, but only if the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) approves an application. (Here the C in ICZN stands for Commission, not Code as it does at
6790-407: The same taxon have been published simultaneously, the valid name is selected accorded to the principle of the first reviser such that, for example, of the names Strix scandiaca and Strix noctua (Aves), both published by Linnaeus in the same work at the same date for the taxon now determined to be the snowy owl , the epithet scandiaca has been selected as the valid name, with noctua becoming
6887-680: The sanctuary of Carmine Maggiore in Naples . Sawfish have been used as symbols in recent history. During World War II , illustrations of sawfish were placed on navy ships, and used as symbols by both American and Nazi German submarines. Sawfish served as the emblem of the German U-96 submarine , known for its portrayal in Das Boot , and was later the symbol of the 9th U-boat Flotilla . The German World War II Kampfabzeichen der Kleinkampfverbände (Battle Badge of Small Combat Units) depicted
6984-482: The saw as a magic weapon. The Akan people of Ghana see sawfish as an authority symbol. There are proverbs with sawfish in the African language Duala . In some other parts of coastal Africa, sawfish are considered extremely dangerous and supernatural, but their powers can be used by humans, as their saw is seen to retain powers against disease, bad luck and evil. Among most African groups, consumption of sawfish meat
7081-593: The saw from side to side. The saw is also used in self-defense against predators, such as sharks, that may eat sawfish. In captivity, they have been seen using their saws during fights over hierarchy or food. The largetooth sawfish was among the species formally described by Carl Linnaeus (as " Squalus pristis ") in Systema Naturae in 1758 , but sawfish were already known thousands of years earlier. Sawfish were occasionally mentioned in antiquity, in works such as Pliny's Natural History (77–79 AD). Pristis ,
7178-511: The saw when captured and defending themselves. Sawfish have been known and hunted for thousands of years, and play an important mythological and spiritual role in many societies around the world. Once common, sawfish have experienced a drastic decline in recent decades, and the only remaining strongholds are in Northern Australia and Florida , United States. The five species are rated as Endangered or Critically Endangered by
7275-806: The saw, although on occasion one may be split in half during capture by the slashing motion. Prey choice is therefore limited by the size of the mouth. A 1.3 m (4.3 ft) sawfish had a 33 cm (13 in) catfish in its stomach. It had been suggested that sawfish use their saw to dig/rake in the bottom for prey, but this was not observed during a 2012 study, or supported by later hydrodynamic studies. Large sawfish often have rostral teeth with tips that are notably worn. Old stories often describe sawfish as highly dangerous to humans, sinking ships and cutting people in half, but today these are considered myths and not factual. Sawfish are actually docile and harmless to humans, except when captured; they can inflict serious injuries when defending themselves, by thrashing
7372-528: The sawfish family Pristidae and its type genus Pristis are derived from the Ancient Greek : πρίστης , romanized : prístēs , lit. 'saw, sawyer'. Despite their appearance, sawfish are rays (superorder Batoidea). The sawfish family has traditionally been considered the sole living member of the order Pristiformes, but recent authorities have generally subsumed it into Rhinopristiformes , an order that now includes
7469-498: The sawfish family, as well as families containing guitarfish , wedgefish , banjo rays and the like. Sawfish quite resemble guitarfish, except that the latter group lacks a saw, and their common ancestor likely was similar to guitarfish. The species level taxonomy in the sawfish family has historically caused considerable confusion and was often described as chaotic. Only in 2013 was it firmly established that there are five living species in two genera . Anoxypristis contains
7566-679: The scientific name formalised for sawfish by Linnaeus in 1758, was also in use as a name even before his publication. For example, sawfish or " priste " were included in Libri de piscibus marinis in quibus verae piscium effigies expressae sunt by Guillaume Rondelet in 1554, and " pristi " were included in De piscibus libri V, et De cetis lib. vnus by Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1613. Outside Europe, sawfish are mentioned in old Persian texts, such as 13th century writings by Zakariya al-Qazwini . Sawfish have been found among archaeological remains in several parts of
7663-413: The sea. In at least the smalltooth sawfish the young show a degree of site fidelity , generally staying in the same fairly small area in the first part of their lives. In the green and dwarf sawfish there are indications that both sexes remain in the same overall region throughout their lives with little mixing between the subpopulations. In the largetooth sawfish the males appear to move more freely between
7760-481: The seabed with the underside of the saw, in a manner similar to that seen in guitarfish . The "pin" is also used to manipulate the position of the prey, allowing fish to be swallowed head-first and thus without engaging any possible fin spines. The spines of catfish , a common prey, have been found imbedded in the rostrum of sawfish. Schools of mullets have been observed trying to escape sawfish. Prey fish are typically swallowed whole and not cut into small pieces with
7857-575: The seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted
7954-401: The skin is largely smooth. The mouth and nostrils are placed on the underside of the head. There are about 88–128 small, blunt-edged teeth in the upper jaw of the mouth and about 84–176 in the lower jaw (not to be confused with the teeth on the saw). These are arranged in 10–12 rows on each jaw, and somewhat resemble a cobblestone road. They have small eyes and behind each is a spiracle , which
8051-422: The smalltooth sawfish offspring are the result of parthenogenesis. It is speculated that this may be in response to being unable to find a partner, allowing the females to reproduce anyway. The pregnancy lasts several months. There are 1–23 young in each sawfish litter, which are 60–90 cm (2–3 ft) long at birth. In the embryos the rostrum is flexible and it only hardens shortly before birth. To protect
8148-459: The species. There are no anal fins . Like other elasmobranches , sawfish lack a swim bladder (instead controlling their buoyancy with a large oil-rich liver ), and have a skeleton consisting of cartilage. Males have claspers , a pair of elongated structures used for mating and positioned on the underside at the pelvic fins. The claspers are small and indistinct in young males. Their small intestines contain an internal partition shaped like
8245-493: The strict definitions of the term "synonym" in the formal rules of nomenclature which govern scientific names (see below) . Changes of scientific name have two causes: they may be taxonomic or nomenclatural. A name change may be caused by changes in the circumscription, position or rank of a taxon, representing a change in taxonomic, scientific insight (as would be the case for the fruit fly, mentioned above). A name change may be due to purely nomenclatural reasons, that is, based on
8342-588: The strictly warm-water species. Sawfish are bottom-dwellers, but in captivity it has been noted that at least the largetooth and green sawfish readily take food from the water surface. Sawfish are mostly found in places with soft bottoms such as mud or sand, but may also occur over hard rocky bottoms or at coral reefs . They are often found in areas with seagrass or mangrove . Sawsharks are typically found much deeper, often at depths in excess of 200 m (660 ft), and when shallower mostly in colder subtropical or temperate waters than sawfish. Relatively little
8439-423: The subpopulations, while mothers return to the region where they were born to give birth to their own young. The length of the full lifespan of sawfish is labeled with considerable uncertainty. A green sawfish caught as a juvenile lived for 35 years in captivity, and a smalltooth sawfish lived for more than 42 years in captivity. In the narrow sawfish it has been estimated that the lifespan is about 9 years, and in
8536-401: The synonymy, the ICZN, in 2001, ruled that invicta would be given precedence over wagneri . To qualify as a synonym in zoology, a name must be properly published in accordance with the rules. Manuscript names and names that were mentioned without any description ( nomina nuda ) are not considered as synonyms in zoological nomenclature. In botanical nomenclature , a synonym is a name that
8633-406: The taxon. However, junior synonyms are still important to document, because if the earliest name cannot be used (for example, because the same spelling had previously been used for a name established for another taxon), then the next available junior synonym must be used for the taxon. For other purposes, if a researcher is interested in consulting or compiling all currently known information regarding
8730-437: The total weight of the sawfish, but there are indications that captives grow considerably faster than their wild counterparts. Exactly how they use their saw after the prey has been located has been debated, and some scholarship on the subject has been based on speculations rather than real observations. In 2012 it was shown that there are three primary techniques, informally called "saw in water", "saw on substrate" and "pin". If
8827-479: The two (or more) types to refer to one and the same taxon, another might consider them to belong to different taxa. For example, John Edward Gray published the name Antilocapra anteflexa in 1855 for a species of pronghorn , based on a pair of horns. However, it is now commonly accepted that his specimen was an unusual individual of the species Antilocapra americana published by George Ord in 1815. Ord's name thus takes precedence, with Antilocapra anteflexa being
8924-549: The use of this term solely within the book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). In zoology ,
9021-552: The western and central Indo-Pacific , ranging from South Africa to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf , east and north to Korea and southern Japan, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Australia. Today sawfish have disappeared from much of their historical range. Sawfish are primarily found in coastal marine and estuarine brackish waters, but they are euryhaline (can adapt to various salinities ) and also found in freshwater. The largetooth sawfish, alternatively called
9118-646: The world, including the Persian Gulf region, the Pacific coast of Panama , coastal Brazil and elsewhere. The cultural significance of sawfish varies significantly. The Aztecs , in what is currently Mexico, often included depictions of sawfish rostra (saws), notably as the striker/sword of the monster Cipactli . Numerous sawfish rostra have been found buried at the Templo Mayor , and two locations in coastal Veracruz had Aztec names referring to sawfish. In
9215-545: Was established for a group of terrestrial snails containing as its type species the Burgundy or Roman snail Helix pomatia —since Helix pomatia was already the type species for the genus Helix Linnaeus, 1758, the genus Pomatia was an objective synonym (and useless). On the same occasion, Helix is also a synonym of Pomatia , but it is older and so it has precedence. At the species level, subjective synonyms are common because of an unexpectedly large range of variation in
9312-952: Was once considered as the oldest known pristid, though it may represent a rhinid rather than a sawfish, or probably a junior synonym of the sclerorhynchoid Onchopristis . Indisputable sawfish genera emerged in the Cenozoic age about 60 million years ago, relatively soon after the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction . Among these are Propristis , a monotypic genus only known from fossil remains, as well as several extinct Pristis species and several extinct Anoxypristis species (both of these genera are also represented by living species). Historically, palaeontologists have not separated Anoxypristis from Pristis . In contrast, several additional extinct genera are occasionally listed, including Dalpiazia , Onchopristis , Oxypristis , and Mesopristis , but recent authorities generally include
9409-491: Was shown that P. pristis , P. microdon and P. perotteti do not differ in morphology or genetics. As a consequence, recent authorities treat P. microdon and P. perotteti as junior synonyms of P. pristis . In addition to the living sawfish, there are several extinct species that only are known from fossil remains found around the world in all continents. Peyeria from the Cenomanian age ( Late Cretaceous )
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