whitebait

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

whitebait
    n 1: minnows or other small fresh- or saltwater fish (especially
         herring); usually cooked whole
    2: the edible young of especially herrings and sprats and smelts

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Whitebait \White"bait`\, n. (Zool.)
   (a) The young of several species of herrings, especially of
       the common herring, esteemed a great delicacy by epicures
       in England.
   (b) A small translucent fish ({Salanx Chinensis}) abundant at
       certain seasons on the coasts of China and Japan, and
       used in the same manner as the European whitebait.
       [1913 Webster]