ICHTHYOLOGY OF VENEZUELA — SCHULTZ 21 



Superorder Hypotremata 



Order BATOIDEA: Rays and Skates 



This order includes those elasmobranch fishes that have a greatly 

 depressed head and body, with the pectoral fins greatly expanded and 

 continuous with the head and body, forming more or less of a disk. 

 The five gill openings occur on the ventral or under side of the head, 

 in front of which is the mouth. The snout is depressed and forms 

 part of the disk or projects forward. 



Suborder Rajiformes 

 Family PRISTIDAE: Sawfishes 



This family is characterized by the presence of a long bladelike 

 snout, the sides of which have large projecting "teeth" or spines set in a 

 socket. In Venezuelan waters these number from 14 to 30 or a few 

 more. 



Genus PRISTIS Link 



Sawfishes, Pez Sierra 



Pristis Link, Mag. Phys. Naturg. Gotha, vol. 6, pt. 3, p. 31, 1790. (Type, 

 Squalus pristis Linnaeus.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PRISTIS REPORTED FROM VENEZUELA 



la. Teeth on each side of "saw" number 15 to 22; lower caudal lobe present; origin 

 of first dorsal in front of pelvic insertion Pristis microdon Latham 



16. Teeth on each side of "saw" number 24 to 32; lower caudal lobe absent; 

 origin of first dorsal opposite pelvic insertion. .Pristis pectinatus Latham 



PRISTIS MICRODON Latham 



Pristis microdon Latham, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. 2, p. 280, pi. 26, fig. 4, 



1794 (locaUty?). 

 Pristis perrotteti Rohl, Fauna descriptiva de Venezuela, p. 366, fig. 180, 1942 



(coast of Venezuela). 



U. S. N. M. No. 27420, rostrum from Maracaibo. 



PRISTIS PECTINATUS Latham 



Pristis pectinatus Latham, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. 2, p. 278, pi. 26, fig. 2, 

 1794 (in the ocean). 



U. S. N. M. No. 121000, 1 specimen. Point Macolla, U. S. S. Niagara, April 19, 

 1925. 



In addition, several saw blades of this species and of Pristis microdon 

 were seen at the mouth of Cano de Sagua on the beach north of Sina- 

 maica, where fishermen had left them. 



The teeth on several blades of both species were counted, and it is 

 interesting to note that frequently one or two more teeth occur on the 



