Upwards over the mountain

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Dec 15
explosionsoflife: cog-nito: 0rcinus0rca: collegehumor: Shark Photobombs Tourist “Dude, you’re blocking the stingray.” 360 reblogs and likes and NO ONE noticed it’s a Swordfish and not a Stingray… modern education I blame you. Uh, swordfish? You’re quite mistaken there…This is a Sawfish (Family Pristidae),which indeed belongs to the superorder Batoidea,aka cartilaginous fish commonly known as rays and skates (although not necessary stingrays; those belong to the superorder Myliobatoidei.)Research, bro, it’s a great thing.  Cog-nito, you are wonderful. :) Indeed that is a sawfish! Although, it may be worth noting that there are a whole group of sharks known as ‘sawsharks’ (order Pristiophoriformes) which can look a LOT like sawfish, and can make initial identification of these amazing animals a bit difficult. The main differences (other than phylogeny) are in physical size and the presence or absence of barbels. Sawsharks have barbels, and sawfish do not. Also, the largest species of sawsharks only reach about five or six feet in length; some sawfish can be a massive 23 feet long. Oh, and sawfish have gill slits underneath (like their ray brethren), while sawsharks have gill slits on the sides of the head like in other sharks.

explosionsoflife:

cog-nito:

0rcinus0rca:

collegehumor:

Shark Photobombs Tourist

“Dude, you’re blocking the stingray.”

360 reblogs and likes and NO ONE noticed it’s a Swordfish and not a Stingray… modern education I blame you.

Uh, swordfish? You’re quite mistaken there…This is a Sawfish (Family Pristidae),which indeed belongs to the superorder Batoidea,aka cartilaginous fish commonly known as rays and skates (although not necessary stingrays; those belong to the superorder Myliobatoidei.)Research, bro, it’s a great thing. 

Cog-nito, you are wonderful. :)

Indeed that is a sawfish! Although, it may be worth noting that there are a whole group of sharks known as ‘sawsharks’ (order Pristiophoriformes) which can look a LOT like sawfish, and can make initial identification of these amazing animals a bit difficult.

image 

The main differences (other than phylogeny) are in physical size and the presence or absence of barbels. Sawsharks have barbels, and sawfish do not. Also, the largest species of sawsharks only reach about five or six feet in length; some sawfish can be a massive 23 feet long. Oh, and sawfish have gill slits underneath (like their ray brethren), while sawsharks have gill slits on the sides of the head like in other sharks.

(Source: reddit.com)

Reblogged 5 months ago from explosionsoflife

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