Spotted estuary smooth-hound | |
---|---|
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.[2] It is closely related to the gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus) of Australia.[3] Males can grow up to a length of 125 cm (49 in), while females can reach a length of 151 cm (59 in).[2]
It is commercially fished, and is commonly served in fish and chip shops in New Zealand under the name "lemonfish".[4] 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.[5]