| Spotted estuary smooth-hound | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Triakidae |
| Genus: | Mustelus |
| Species: | M. lenticulatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mustelus lenticulatus Phillipps, 1932 | |
| |
The spotted estuary smooth-hound or rig (Mustelus lenticulatus) is a houndshark of the family Triakidae, found on the continental shelves and in estuaries around New Zealand. It is closely related to the gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus) of Australia. Males can grow up to a length of 125 cm (49 in), while females can reach a length of 151 cm (59 in).
It is commercially fished, and is commonly served in fish and chip shops in New Zealand under the name "lemonfish". In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the spotted estuary smooth-hound as "not threatened" with the qualifier "conservation dependent" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.
References
- Finucci, B.; Kyne, P.M. (2018). "Mustelus lenticulatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T39356A116736541. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T39356A116736541.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Carpenter, Kent E.; Binohlan, Crispina B. "Mustelus lenticulatus Phillipps, 1932 Spotted estuary smooth-hound". Fishbase. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- Gardner, M.G.; Ward, R.D. (2002). "Taxonomic affinities within Australian and New Zealand Mustelus sharks (Chondrichthyes: Triakidae) inferred from allozymes, mitochondrial DNA and precaudal vertebrae counts". Copeia. 2002 (2). BioOne: 356–363. doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[0356:TAWAAN]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 85403536. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- Ballance, Alison (5 March 2015). "Tracking Rig Sharks". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
- Duffy, Clinton A. J.; Francis, Malcolm; Dunn, M. R.; Finucci, Brit; Ford, Richard; Hitchmough, Rod; Rolfe, Jeremy (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016 (PDF). Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. p. 10. ISBN 9781988514628. OCLC 1042901090.
| Endemic marine fish of New Zealand | |
|---|---|
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| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Mustelus lenticulatus |
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