WHITEBAIT (Fr. Blanchaille), the name given to the fry of the herring and sprat, and formerly erroneously thought to be a distinct species, Clupea alba. These young fish, which are much esteemed for the table, are found in large numbers in estuaries (Firth of Forth, Thames, etc.) and at certain times along the coast, but it appears that the large concentrations which make the fishery a commercial success occur only in estuaries.
In spite of the large numbers of whitebait caught, it is improb able that this has any noticeable effect on the subsequent herring fisheries. In the year 1926, 3,127cwt. of whitebait were landed in ports of England and Wales, and sold for 13,916.