"Pristiophorus schroederi" is the first member of the sawsharks (family "Pristiophoridae") described from the western hemisphere. Like its family members, it is most likely a descendant of the Cenozoic sawshark, "Pristiophorus lanceolatus" from New Zealand and Australia. It is a poorly known family and only consists of six members: "P. cirratus, P. delicatus, P. japinicus, P. nancyae, P. nudipinnis, and P. schroederi." Three specimens of "Pristiophoridae schroederi" were discovered; 38.3, 64.5, and 80.5 centimeters in length, were collected by an incidental product of exploratory fishing operations by the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. One was discovered in the Santaren Channel and two from the Atlantic, just north of Little Bahama Bank.