Sensory strategies for protecting endangered sawfishes

卡奔塔利亚湾是世界上最后一个拥有可持续锯鳐种群的栖息地。由于容易被网缠住，这种锯在澳大利亚的数量急剧减少，所有物种现在都受到澳大利亚环境保护和生物多样性保护法的保护，包括《濒危物种国际贸易公约》（CITES）。本研究将为澳大利亚唯一圈养的锯鳐种群提供有关捕食、猎物操纵和关键感官作用的基本生物学信息。这些知识将为渔民开发和使用视觉、化学和/或磁性驱蚊剂提供基础，这些驱蚊剂仍然是造成大量锯鳐作为副渔获物损失的原因。

The Gulf of Carpentaria is the last habitat worldwide containing sustainable populations of sawfish. Easily entangled in nets, the saw has reduced population numbers dramatically in Australia with all species now protected under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This study will provide basic biological information on feeding, prey manipulation and the role of critical senses in the only captive population of sawfishes in Australia. Such knowledge will underpin the development and use of visual, chemical and/or magnetic repellents by fisherman that are still responsible for the loss of large numbers of sawfish as by-catch.