Hammered Saws

Shark relatives with threatening snouts win global protection

The sawfish features one of Mother Nature’s oddest designs. Its flat snout resembles a chain saw with dozens of toothlike minidaggers. When the predator encounters a school of fish, it slashes its saw from side to side. As the injured quarry flutters in the water, the sawfish hoists its snout skyward and vacuums in dinner.