or Inaka
(the ngas in the word singer, not as in finger),a New Zealand fish, Galaxias attenuatus, or Retropinna richardsoni. It is often called the Whitebait and Minnow, and in Tasmania thelarger variety is called Jolly-tail. The changefrom Inanga to Inaka is a dialectal Maorivariation, answering exactly to the change from NorthIsland Kainga to South Island Kaik (q.v.).
1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' vol.ii. p. 100:
«This fish is called hinanga [sic.], and resembles Blackwallwhite-bait in size and flavour. Its colour is a pinkish white,spotted with black.»
1896. `The Australasian,' Aug. 28, p. 407, col. 3:
«About the same size as this fish [the cockabully] is the`inaka' much used for bait. Indeed, it is called the NewZealand whitebait. A friend from Victoria having used thisbait, I asked him to spell the name of the fish, and he wantedto make it like the patriarch who `walked with God' – – Enoch-a. The more correct shape of the Maori word is inanga;but in the South Island `k' often takes the place of thatdistinctive Maori letter `ng,' as `kainga' becomes kaik;ngaio, kaio.»