Largetooth Sawfish

Photo: David Akers · CC BY-NC

Critically endangered globally, the largetooth sawfish persists in the Casamance as one of a handful of remaining viable West African populations, making every sighting an extraordinary event. The rostrum, studded with electrosensory tooth-like denticles, is used to detect and slash through schools of fish in shallow estuarine water — a hunting strategy perfectly suited to the murky, mangrove-lined channels. Conservation surveys have confirmed regular use of the Casamance as a pupping ground, meaning juveniles with soft, flexible rostra are sometimes seen alongside larger adults.