Whitebait

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume XXIII, Issue 1237, 10 October 1924, Page 3

Whitebait

HAUNTS AND HABITS At this tiire of the year, whitebait are very plentiful in all the rivers flowing into Kawhia and other harbours, and we have received many inquiries as to their origin and habits. Very little appears to be known concerning them, but the observations of Mr W. J. Phillips, who has watched their movements in the aquarium connected with the Dominion Museum, Wellington, may proveof interest. Mr Phillipps points out that the possibility of increasing the run of whitebait in New Zealand rivers by judicious legislation gives tbe study of the minnow great importance commercially. There is not much first-hand information, but Mr W, B. Braddon, Hokitika, who has studied fresh-water fish for many years, made the following entry in his diary on February 10,1911 : “On this day, I first witnessed the spawning of the adult minnows. They were seen to be congregating, stirring up the mud between the stone, close to the bank on which I was standing, half a mile from the open oceayi, in the estuary of the Hokitika river. It was high tide, and the water was more salt than fresh. The muddy water prevented close observation, but the fishes seemed to be whirling over one another, as their backs continually rose above the surface. The spawning fish made no attempt to escape wnen an effort was made to catch them, and specimens were lifted out of the water, while ova came away freely, The process was observed for half an hour. ” Hokitika fishermen told Mr Phillipps that minnows spawned among rushes on the mudflats near the estuary of the river, and were seen in immense shoals stirring up mud in February and March, They know’ the adult minnow as ‘cowfish, ” on account of the fact that when caught milk-white ova come from them. In ichthyological literature, they are Galaxias attenuatis.