A living shield: Skin microbes may help sawfish survive oxygen-poor pools

This large freshwater sawfish might look scary, but its greatest survival assets are tiny microbes that may give its young an invisible force field when environmental conditions get tough. New research led by Flinders University describes how microscopic communities living on the skin of the critically endangered largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) could help these animals endure challenging dry-season conditions, offering a new perspective on their conservation.