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By Pandora Dewan
Senior Science Reporter
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You always remember your first fish. Now just imagine if that first fish was a critically endangered 13-foot-long smalltooth sawfish. That is exactly what happened to Daniel Nuzum in South Florida on his first ever fishing expedition.
AJ Rotondella, who runs a catch and release land-based shark fishing guide service on Florida's Treasure Coast called Apex Anglers, shared footage of the once-in-a-lifetime catch on TikTok.
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"While fishing, my clients got the surprise of their life when a sawfish emerged from the waves instead of a shark," he told Newsweek. "They were absolutely shocked and in complete awe. It was actually the kid's first fish ever, which makes it even more unbelievable!"
In the footage, the critically endangered animal, which Rotondella described as "a stingray with a chainsaw on its face", can be seen poking its long, toothy snout out of the shallow waves.
"That was my first ever fish, ever," Nuzum said in the video. "I've never been fishing."
Thousands of people have commented to congratulate Nuzum on his catch. "He has no idea what he just accomplished," said one user.
The video has so far received over 1.8 million views.
Sawfish are a group of rays characterized by their long, flattened snouts lined with sharp horizontal teeth. They belong to the same group of fishes as sharks and stingrays: the elasmobranchs. There are five different species of swordfish worldwide, all of which are endangered.
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The smalltooth sawfish is the species most commonly found in the U.S. These can grow up to 17 feet long and weigh 700 pounds. While this species is classed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the south coast of Florida is one of the few remaining strongholds of their population.
"I have caught one other in the past," Rotondella said. "I'm not sure how to describe the feeling of being in the presence of a modern day dinosaur, but it's kinda like stepping into a portal straight into the Cretaceous Period."
The fish was caught using a jack crevalle fish as bait, which is usually used to catch sharks. "The leader [fishing line] was cut as close to the fish as possible," Rotondella said. "I also use barbless circle hooks while fishing, so the hook will fall out quickly."
The sawfish was safely released after the footage was taken and reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about sawfish? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
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