Check List 13(4): 261-265, doi: 10.15560/13.4.261
The Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758), is not extirpated from Peru: new records from Tumbes
Alejandra Mendoza‡, Shaleyla Kelez‡, Wilmer Gonzales Cherres§, Rossana Maguiño‡‡ ecOceánica, Lima, Peru§ Asociacion de Pescadores Artesanales para Consumo Humano Directo de La Cruz, Tumbes, Peru
Corresponding author: Alejandra Mendoza ( alejandra.mendoza@ecoceanica.org ) Academic editor: Arturo Angulo Sibaja © 2017 Alejandra Mendoza, Shaleyla Kelez, Wilmer Gonzales Cherres, Rossana Maguiño. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Mendoza A, Kelez S, Cherres WG, Maguiño R (2017) The Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758), is not extirpated from Peru: new records from Tumbes. Check List 13(4): 261-265. https://doi.org/10.15560/13.4.261 |  |
Abstract
The Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis pristis, was for a long time considered extirpated from Peru. However, here we report the capture of 2 individuals from the north coast of Peru, indicating that this species is still extant in Peruvian waters. Both individuals were adult-sized and their encounters occurred during the austral summer, which could indicate a seasonal presence in those waters. Gillnets are still a major threat for the species as both specimens were incidentally captured with this gear. Our finding highlights the need for continuous research, awareness, and legal protection of this species.
Keywords
Tropical Eastern Pacific; bycatch; Pristidae; northern Peru; critically endangered species