Whitebait

Whitebait is a culinary term rather than a taxonomic species, applied to the juvenile stage of several small fish species including sprats, herrings, smelts, and sand eels, consumed whole before the bones harden. In Europe, whitebait is typically battered and fried as a traditional dish in the UK and Greece. In New Zealand, whitebait refers to the juvenile of several galaxiid species and is an expensive delicacy. In Japan, shirasu is the equivalent product made from juvenile anchovies and sardines. Tinned whitebait appears from a small number of European and Asian producers offering the product in oil or brine as a specialty item.