Abstract

Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) are currently classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).¹ In 2021, there were 11 individuals represented in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA),² with only a single institution reporting successful breeding in an open system³. An adult male and female have been housed at SeaWorld Orlando for thirty years without observed pupping.

During an examination for a dermatologic presentation, an approximately 40-year-old female smalltooth sawfish was diagnosed with pregnancy via coelomic ultrasound. Ultrasound was performed under manual restraint in a stretcher from a left flank approach. Fetal movement and heartbeat were confirmed in three fetuses. Recheck examinations were performed in preparation for transport of the pregnant female to a temporary holding habitat for parturition. An ultrasound measurement of the fetal rostrum, combined with the calculated ratio of the anterior-to-orbit (AO) to total length (TL) adult morphometric measurements, was used to predict fetal size in this case.

Five days after a successful transport under propofol sedation, the female sawfish gave birth to three live young (1.2). One neonatal female displayed a musculoskeletal congenital abnormality. Both neonatal females were treated for superficial abrasions and puncture wounds, which are suspected to be a result of maternal trauma immediately following birth. Tissue (apparently normal embryonic membrane) was found in the adult female’s habitat within 24 hours post parturition. This case represents the first report of successful smalltooth sawfish breeding and parturition in the United States under managed care in a closed system, as well as suggestions for parturition prediction and juvenile health monitoring in this species.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank aquarists Ashleigh Watkins, Becki Orze, Celena Diaz, and the entire SeaWorld Orlando aquarium husbandry team for their attentive monitoring and expertise while working with these patients. We also thank the certified veterinary technicians of the Veterinary Services Department for their support and dedication during sawfish examinations and transport.

*Presenting author

Literature Cited

1.  Carlson J, Blanco-Parra MP, Bonfil-Sanders R, Charles R, Charvet P, Chevis M, Dulvy NK, Espinoza M, Faria V, Ferretti F, Fordham S, Giovos I, Graham J, Grubbs D, Pacoureau N, Phillips NM. Pristis pectinata, smalltooth sawfish. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022:e.T18175A58298676.

2.  White S. AZA Regional Studbook for Pristiformes species. 2021. ams.aza.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx.

3.  Flowers KI, Chapman DD, Kemp T, Wert D, Feldheim KA. Annual breeding in a captive smalltooth sawfish, Pristis pectinata. J Fish Biol. 2020;97:1586–1589.