21/09/2026
A Closer look at the Whitebait Journey
Whitebait is made up of the juvenile stage of 6 NZ fish species. Īnanga, Shortjaw kōkopu, kōaro, banded kōkopu and giant kōkopu and common smelt. Īnanga is the smallest of the 6, only growing up to 110mm in length, it cannot climb barriers such as weirs and culverts, and it makes up 85-95% of my whitebait pattie.
Back in March, I was lucky enough to join a team from DOC and Tasman Bay Guardians to carry out an Īnanga egg survey here in Karamea.
Historic spawning sites were identified, the salt wedge located (where saltwater meets freshwater on a high spring tide), the spring tide line was marked, and then the group returned on the following low tide to search for and count Īnanga eggs.
What really surprised me was just how small the spawning habitat actually is.
It can be a very narrow band of dense vegetation and roots, often only around 100 metres either side of the salt wedge, on gently sloping banks safely above the normal river flow. This is where the eggs stay moist and cool for around a month before the next big tide sweeps the newly hatched larvae out to sea.
The tiny Īnanga then spend around six months at sea feeding on plankton before returning as whitebait in spring – joining the whitebait runs that are such an iconic part of West Coast life. Those that survive the journey upstream, the eels, birds and the frying pan, will eventually head back downstream and return to their spawning sites in autumn to complete the cycle.
It really brought home to me how important—and vulnerable—these small strips of habitat are.
At Clean Streams Karamea, we're starting to think about practical ways we can work with landowners, community and other organisations to protect and restore Īnanga spawning habitat across our waterways.
Protecting whitebait isn't just about the fish in the river – it's about protecting the small places that make the whole journey possible. 💧🌿🐟
CHECK OUT - Īnanga spawning resources - Mountains to Sea - for everything you need to know about Whitebait spawning and habitat
www.mountainstosea.org.nz/inanga-spawning-resources
