A built-in pocket protector keeps sawfish from ‘sword fighting’ in the womb
Scientists get the first close look at an ephemeral organ that covers the rays’ toothy snout
![A fish with a long, sawtooth-like snout in murky water, held by a person's hands](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/040924_nvh_sawfish_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
A researcher releases a young smalltooth sawfish that has been tagged for study into Tampa Bay. These rays are born with a protective skinlike sheath around their toothed snout that sheds within about four days after birth.
Matthew Bernanke, NMFS ESA Permit No. 25864