California Grunion

The California grunion is a long, slender fish with a deeply forked tail. The dorsal fin is in two parts and has five to seven spines and nine to ten soft rays. The origin of the anal fin is immediately below the first dorsal fin, and this fin has twenty-one to twenty-four soft rays. The fish grows to a maximum length of 19 cm (7 in). It is greenish above and silvery below. There is a blue patch on the cheek and a silvery-blue lateral stripe along the side.

This species is endemic to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Its range extends from Monterey Bay southwards to Baja California, but it is uncommon north of Point Conception. It is also found in the Gulf of California. Its depth range is from the sea surface down to about 18 m (60 ft).

The fish feed on plankton such as copepods. They are preyed on by California halibut, rock bass, white croakers and other large predators. Humans catch them for culinary use or use them as bait. The eggs are at risk from shore birds such as the whimbrel and the marbled godwit, which probe the sand with their beaks. The eggs are also sought by sandworms, ground squirrels, a species of isopod, and certain beetles and flies.

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