whitebait

n. a fish; not, as in England,the fry of the herring and sprat, but in Victoria, Engraulisantarcticus, Castln.; and in New Zealand, the young fry of Galaxias attenuatus, Jenyns ( Inanga, q.v.).The young of the New Zealand Smelt (q.v.), Retropinnarichardsonii, Gill, are also called Whitebait,both in New Zealand and in Tasmania.

1882. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Fish of New South Wales,'p. 85:

«Anchovies or Engraulis have a compressed body with avery wide lateral mouth, and a projecting upper jaw. Scaleslarge. We have two species – – E. antarcticus, Casteln.,and E. nasutus, Casteln. The first-named species is bymany erroneously believed to be identical, or at most a varietyof E. encrassicholus of Europe. Count Castelnau statesthat it is very common in the Melbourne market at all seasons,and goes by the name of `whitebait.'»

1883. `Royal Commission on Fisheries of Tasmania, p. iv:

« Retropinna Richardsonii, whitebait or smelt. Capturedin great abundance in the river Tamar, in the prawn nets,during the months of February and March, together with aspecies of Atherina, and Galaxias attenuatus,and are generally termed by fishermen whitebait. Dr. Guentherhad formerly supposed that this species was confined to NewZealand; it appears, however, to be common to Australia andTasmania.»