A man has pleaded guilty to killing an endangered fish unique to Florida waters whose extended nose is lined with teeth that resemble a saw.
Federal prosecutors say Chad Ponce of Jacksonville faces a year in prison and a $50,000 fine when he is sentenced for killing the sawfish, which is listed as an endangered species. A sentencing date hasn't been set yet.
The sawfish are only found in the southeastern U.S., primarily off the southwest coast of Florida.
U.S. & World
Sawfish are generally harmless to humans, although they can inflict serious injury with their saw-like noses if threatened. Some grow as large as 17-feet.
Prosecutors say Ponce removed the extended nose of a sawfish last year using a power saw while fishing in a boat off the coast of Ponte Vedra.
