Elusive prehistoric fish shocks anglers in middle of the night in Florida. Take a look
Two anglers got a late-night fright that quickly turned into excitement while fishing off the coast of Florida, a TikTok video shows.
“I was actually able to feel the line slip between the teeth of the saw while leadering it so I had a suspicion of what it could be,” one of the fishers and owner of the Port St. Lucie-based Apex Anglers, AJ Rotondella, said after the catch.
Out of the pitch-black ocean waters, the fishers reel in what they call a “critically endangered ancient dinosaur,” video shows, and begin shouting with excitement.
On the end of the fishing line was a massive smalltooth sawfish. The video, posted by the TikTok account @Shaaaarky on April 10, got more than 16 million views as of May 3.
Warning: The following videos contain explicit language.
The anglers estimate it to be about 15 feet long, according to the TikTok video.
After excitedly marveling at the creature, the fishers released it back into the waters.
“I would be so scared if I saw this, especially at night,” one viewer said.
“That’s just a Chainsawfaced trout,” another joked.
The description of a chainsaw isn’t that far off, though. The smalltooth sawfish is the only sawfish that is found in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. All types of sawfish across the world are not well studied and critically endangered.
Even though smalltooth sawfish swim like sharks, they are actually a type of ray, according to the wildlife commission. The species has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 2003.
Smalltooth sawfish can grow up to 17 feet and weigh 700 pounds, according to the commission.
The fishers said they used barbless hooks, so once they cut the line, the hook easily falls out of the fish, causing no harm. The sawfish was then reported to Florida wildlife officials, according to the fishers.
“Fortunate enough to live near one of their last population strongholds. So crazy encountering these fish,” one of the fishers told viewers in the comments. “Few words can describe it.”
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Elusive prehistoric fish shocks anglers in middle of the night in Florida. Take a look."
