What is Grunion?

Grunion is small sea fish that have sardine size and belong to the Atherinopsidae family. Grunion is a slim fish that has a pearl of gray on its belly and side, but on the green blue on its back. Its most important physical characteristics is the striking silver blue belt on its sides. The adult Grunion is about 6-7 inches (15-17 cm) long, while women are somewhat larger than men. Their usual lifetime is three to four years, but according to scientists, relatively little live for more than three.

geographically, the primary range of this fish is in the coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean along the western edge of the United States. There are only two species: California Grunion or Leurestheh Tenuis ; and Gulf Grunion, Leuresthes Sardinas . Each inhabits a different area. California species ranges from roughly Monterey Bay in California south after Punta abreojos on the west coast of Baja Peninsula in Mexico and the species of the Gulf only inhabrates the Gulf of California along the east coastBaja peninsula. Isolated small populations, however, are sometimes south and north of these points.

for habitats, adults prefer relatively shallow coastal waters near the open coast and bays. These fish like to live on or near the surface, and if scientists know, they do not migrate. Their friction is perfectly adapted to the surf zone near the sandy beaches. There is not much known about the Grunion diet. They have no teeth, so scientists assume that Grunion feeds on very small organisms such as animal plankton.

The Grunion period of friction varies slightly from year to year, but usually lasts from early spring to early autumn. Grunion, unlike other fish species, comes completely out of the water to insert and fertilize their eggs on wet sandy beaches. The eggs are laid in the sand only during a full or new month when the spring tide cycle is at the highest level. This cycle is so trueDeny that the friction date can be predicted a year in advance.

males and women swim on the waves and remain trapped on the sand as the water retreats. Females of tunnel tail first in the sand to lay eggs, and males discharge the sperm directly on the egg when they are laid. This process takes about 30 seconds and both sexes will immediately return to the ocean. The wave action keeps the eggs buried under the sand. In about 15 days, eggs and waves carry larvae to the ocean.