Show whitebait are really baby fish walte buit named rogenia alba by valenciennes the french naturalist who held that it is a distinct genus ot the herring family was regarded by later authorities as merely the fry 0 the herring it seems now however to be established that he fry of all the british the pilchard the sprat and the shad and probably other small fry are taken and used under the name whitebait these delicate and silvery baby elsh are taken in great abundance in spring and summer in the estuary ot the thames they are caught in bag nets which are sunk four or five feet below the surface of the water and usually measure from an inch to three inches in length A sample of white bait has been tested by development in an aquarium proving that they are fry of several sorts of fish |