3 endangered sawfish born at SeaWorld – the first successful captive birth of the species in the U.S.

Three smalltooth sawfish pups have been born at SeaWorld Orlando, the aquarium announced. It the only aquarium in the U.S. to have the endangered species, SeaWorld said — and only one other aquarium in the world has welcomed a successful birth of the pups, SeaWorld says in a news release.

Two females and one male were born in July and continued to have regular check ups to make sure they are healthy. The fish look like small sharks and about 2 feet long at birth

While they have shark-like properties like fins and teeth and they belong to the fish group, elasmobranchs, which includes sharks, they are categorized as rays, according to SeaWorld. 

Like rays and sharks, these fish don't have bones, butcartilage. Their gills and mouths are found on their undersides and they have a long snout lined with 22-29 teeth, hence the name, according to NOAA Fisheries. 

Smalltooth sawfish are native to the Atlantic Ocean and often make their way into river systems in Florida, SeaWorld says. There are two adult smalltooth sawfish at SeaWorld Orlando and in May, veterinarians at the park found the female was pregnant. 

She was taken to the Aquarium Health Center to be monitored and give birth. 

"This is an extraordinary success in the realm of sawfish conservation, and it is our privilege to provide world-class care for this critically endangered species," said Dr. Joseph Gaspard, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld Orlando. "The birth of these smalltooth pups allows for a greater understanding of how to turn the tide on the declining sawfish populations and spread the  message of education to our millions of guests that visit each year."

This fish is the first marine fish to receive protection from the Endangered Species Act. They were marked critically endangered in 2003 after loss of habitat and fishing led to a decline in their population, according to SeaWorld. 

Under the Endangered Species Act, animals that are endangered or threatened cannot be legally caught or killed, according to NOAA Fisheries. It is also illegal to harm or harass animals on the list. Sometimes, however, fish like the smalltooth sawfish are accidentally captured when fishermen are fishing other species. There are guidelines for how to help an accidentally captured animal that is a protected species. 

While the fish used to be found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast up to North Carolina, they are mainly found on the coast of Florida now, due to the decline in population, according to NOAA Fisheries. There is little data on their population and it is unclear how many exist today.

SeaWorld says the birth of the three pups is made more meaningful by the fact that this is the only species of sawfish that is found in the U.S. and there is an interest in understanding their reproduction to try and combat population decline. 

Smalltooth sawfish give birth to seven to 14 pups at a time and pregnancy is believed to last 12 months, with females able to give birth every other year, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.