WHITEBAIT AND SMELTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 8, 4 October 1917, Page 6

WHITEBAIT AND SMELTS

Sir,—The evergreen question of "What! is Whitebait?" is ones more before the> public. The term "whitebait" is a very, loose one, and is often used without discrimination in desoribng or atteniptins to describe the young of some particular fish. In New Zealand the term is usually: applied to the fry of Wo distinct; species. Firstly, tho minnow, Maori name "inanga tutuna," scientific name galaiias attemiatus. This ,is the, edible- "whitebait" of New 'Zealand. Secondly, the smelt, Maori name "inanga papa," scientific name retropinna richardsoni. This is not eaten except by the Maoris, end by them only after being sun-dried, and is of .a strong cucumber flavour. According to Dr. Hector, there are two varieties of this fishi the second variety being retropinna osmeroides—the smelt, probably this latter variety, ascends rivers to a long distance. . Both species are anadromous—that is, running into rivers from the sea. They often run. together, and whitebait fishermen sort out the young smelts before marketing their "whitebait." The galaxios attenuates ascends nearly all New Zealand rivers, usually _ commencing to run in July, and continuing through August, September, and October. It grows to maturity and is ripe to spawn by about March, when it descends to the sea almost in a , bodily migration; at irhich period the Maoris erect weirs< for its capture, taking large quantities or what they call "mother whitebait," in a few nights, when tho run to the sea. is completed, and the rivers become.practically bare of mature fish. I-; have witnessed this migration in Hi vke's Bay and Taraaaki. . The retropinna also sometimes ascenda a long distance up' the rivers. I,have taken on the fly, well inland m Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki, as much as five inches in length, in the autumn time, but I believe the bulk-o't these fish do not go any distance up tliß rivers. They appear to spawn in tidal waters in the Canterbury rivers. I speak from observation at tho mouths of the Bakaia and Kangitata, where they run in millions, and are often foul hooked, both ripe and spent, in spinning for This is the only indigenous fish of-the eaimon family in New Zealand waters. The fish referred to by your correspondent, Mr. C. W. Tanner, as appearing to bo the progenitor of whitebait (as distinguished by him- from smelts) would probably be the galaxifc fascintus. which does grow to quite a substantial size,'that is, to perhaps half a pound in weight, and is common in Taranaki streams, and will take fly ot worm. This fish is also in Lake Taupo, and'is called by the Maoris kokopu. It is sometimes miscalled the native front. •■ The whitebait reared at Opawa and developing into T'smelts" must have been tho fry of the retropinna, which in their early stages of life, are not easily distinguishable from the fry of the galaxies, when alive; when dead, they are easily identified. '•■,-. ~ . Much information regarding these and other fresh water native fish, can be obtained by reference to Shernn s Handbook of the: fishes of New Zealand, from which the above notes are mainly derived. The Maori names can be veri-. fist! by' reference to William's's Maori dictionary. For your observation I send mature specimens of both Kalaxins and Tetropinna preserved in .formalin, but. of course, the colours have gone.—l am, etc., NAPIER ANGLER, ■