Onchopristis was a very large species of sawfish that lived from the Early Cretaceous, approximately 145 million years ago, to the Late Cretaceous, approximately 66 million years ago. Fossils of this species have been discovered in multiple locations, including North America, North Africa, Brazil, and New Zealand.
The estimated length of Onchopristis was around 8.5 – 10 m, with a weight of around 1.5 tonnes. Although it was a dominant predator in its habitat, it is speculated that it was one of the food sources for Spinosaurus.
Onchopristis was larger in size than a great white shark and inhabited freshwater environments and rivers. It fed on other fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. It is believed to have possessed electroreceptors to detect prey, similar to modern sharks and certain species of stingrays. The fish's rostrum reached approximately 2.5 meters in length and was lined with barbed teeth. Like modern sawfish, its eyes were positioned on top of its head, likely enabling better tracking of prey, while its mouth and gills were located underneath the body.
