Sawfishes, also known as
carpenter sharks, are an
order (
Pristiformes) of
rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened
rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp
transverse teeth, arranged so as to resemble a saw. Several
species of sawfishes can grow to about . The family as a whole is largely unknown and little studied. The Pristidae are the only living family within the
order Pristiformes, whose name comes from the .