Photos show crocodile attacking sawfish in Australia

April 13 (UPI) -- A series of stunning photos show a crocodile attempting to eat a juvenile sawfish swimming in a river in Australia.

The photos were published in a new study in the journal Ecology by Murdoch University Associate Professor David Morgan that highlights the dangers faced by newborn sawfish in the Fitzroy River.

"The river acts as a nursery to the young freshwater sawfish, where they spend the first four or five years of their lives before journeying downstream to the ocean to mature and breed," Morgan said.

Despite the sawfish's reputation as one of nature's deadliest predators, due to its lethal saw-shaped snout, the species faces threats from other deadly creatures.

These include freshwater crocodiles like the one shown attempting to sink its teeth into the young sawfish in the photos.

Morgan and other Murdoch University researchers examined scarring on 39 sawfish from the Fitzroy River and discovered at least 60 percent of them showed evidence of bite marks.

According to Morgan, water level is one of the most important factors impacting the survival of sawfish in the river.

"The less water the more likely they are to encounter a predator such as a saltwater crocodile, particularly in the lower reaches of the river," he told the BBC.

In response to these threats and fisherman who target sawfish for their unique snout, Morgan suggested river crossings, weirs and dams be modified to allow sawfish to navigate safely.

"We now know that the Kimberly region of Western Australia is arguably the most important region for freshwater sawfish left on Earth," he said. "They need the habitat and they need the water."