Sawfish

What kind of fish has a saw, hunts in muddy water, and can detect prey that it can't even see?

Meet the sawfish (also known as the Carpenter Shark) - one of the most unusual and mysterious animals in the world's rivers, estuaries, coral reefs, and coastal waters!

With its long, tooth-studded rostrum, flattened body, and remarkable sensory abilities, the sawfish looks like something from prehistoric times. But these extraordinary animals are alive today, and they need our help.

In Sawfish: The Long-Snouted Hunter, young readers ages 10-16 will dive beneath the surface to discover the fascinating marine science behind these incredible endangered ocean animals. Along the way, full-color photographs will immerse readers in the sawfish's natural world, bringing them face-to-face with these remarkable fish and the rivers, estuaries, mangroves, and coastal waters they call home.

Inside, readers will explore all five living sawfish species and discover:

• How scientists distinguish the five species and where each one lives
• The amazing anatomy and adaptations that make sawfish such successful hunters
• How sawfish use their remarkable saw and specialized sensory organs to locate prey
• What sawfish eat and how they hunt in dark, muddy water
• How baby sawfish develop and grow into adults
• Which predators threaten sawfish, and how humans have become their greatest threat
• Why all five species face serious conservation challenges
• How scientists study sawfish and use technology to understand their behavior
• The important role sawfish play in aquatic ecosystems
• What kids can do to help protect these endangered ocean animals and their habitats

Discover - Investigate -Think Like a Scientist

• Throughout the book, readers will encounter Quick Snapshot Boxes that highlight important vocabulary, compare and contrast related concepts, review key information, and provide fascinating facts.
• Interactive Checklists encourage readers to observe, question, investigate, and think like real scientists.
• The book includes 17 Hands-On STEM Activities that challenge young scientists to investigate adaptations, explore ecosystems, build models, collect data, solve problems, and design conservation solutions.
• Readers can also explore Citizen Science Opportunities and discover how ordinary people, including kids and families, can contribute observations and information that help real scientists study and protect wildlife.

Whether you're fascinated by sharks and stingrays, love weird fish, enjoy STEM learning, or dream of becoming a marine biologist, Sawfish: The Long-Snouted Hunter offers an exciting journey into the secret life of one of Earth's most endangered ocean animals.

Discover the sawfish, explore the science, and become part of the effort to protect its future.