spotted estuary smooth-hound

{{Short description|Species of shark}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Mustelus lenticulatus 2.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Finucci, B. |author2=Kyne, P.M. |date=2018 |title=Mustelus lenticulatus |volume=2018 |page=e.T39356A116736541 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T39356A116736541.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}

| genus = Mustelus

| species = lenticulatus

| authority = Phillipps, 1932

| range_map = Mustelus lenticulatus distmap.png

}}

{{Portal|Sharks}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Mustelus-lenticulatus.html|title=Mustelus lenticulatus Phillipps, 1932 Spotted estuary smooth-hound|last1=Carpenter|first1=Kent E.|last2=Binohlan|first2=Crispina B.|website=Fishbase|access-date=21 January 2019}} It is closely related to the gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus) of Australia.{{cite journal |last1=Gardner |first1=M.G. |last2=Ward |first2=R.D. |date=2002 |title=Taxonomic affinities within Australian and New Zealand Mustelus sharks (Chondrichthyes: Triakidae) inferred from allozymes, mitochondrial DNA and precaudal vertebrae counts |url=http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1643/0045-8511%282002%29002%5B0356%3ATAWAAN%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=Copeia |publisher=BioOne |volume=2002 |issue=2 |pages=356–363 |doi=10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[0356:TAWAAN]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85403536 |access-date=12 January 2015}} Males can grow up to a length of {{cvt|125|cm}}, while females can reach a length of {{cvt|151|cm}}. In 2025, rigs were found to be the first known sharks capable of sound production, namely, "clicks."{{Cite journal |last=Nieder |first=Carolin |last2=Parmentier |first2=Eric |last3=Jeffs |first3=Andrew G. |last4=Radford |first4=Craig |date=2025-03-26 |title=Evidence of active sound production by a shark |url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.242212 |journal=Royal Society Open Science |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=242212 |doi=10.1098/rsos.242212|pmc=11937917 }}

It is commercially fished, and is commonly served in fish and chip shops in New Zealand under the name "lemonfish".{{Cite web|url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/20169398/tracking-rig-sharks|title=Tracking Rig Sharks|last=Ballance|first=Alison|date=5 March 2015|website=Radio New Zealand|access-date=21 January 2019}} 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.{{Cite book|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/science-and-technical/nztcs23entire.pdf|title=Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016|last1=Duffy|first1=Clinton A. J.|last2=Francis|first2=Malcolm|last3=Dunn|first3=M. R.|last4=Finucci|first4=Brit|last5=Ford|first5=Richard|last6=Hitchmough|first6=Rod|last7=Rolfe|first7=Jeremy|publisher=Department of Conservation|year=2018|isbn=9781988514628|location=Wellington, New Zealand|pages=10|oclc=1042901090}}