Grunion run starts tonight in Southern California and Northern Baja

A grunion run starts tonight along Southern California and Northern Baja Beaches. From March through September, one of the most remarkable life cycles in the sea is completed; the California grunion comes ashore to spawn.

The grunion has been known to many southern Californians for more than 70 years, but there are still those who are skeptical of its existence. To be invited out in the middle of the night to go fishing with only a gunny sack and light for equipment does sound a little ridiculous, but in reality this is the most popular method.

California grunion are small silvery fish found only along the coast of southern California and northern Baja California. Most sportsmen would be unaware of their existence were it not for the unique spawning behavior of these fish. Unlike other fish, grunion come out of the water completely to lay their eggs in the wet sand of the beach.

As if this behavior were not strange enough, grunion make these excursions only on particular nights, and with such regularity that the time of their arrival on the beach can be predicted a year in advance. This phenomenon can be seen on many beaches in southern California. Shortly after high tide, on certain nights, sections of these beaches sometimes are covered with thousands of grunion depositing their eggs in the sand.

Grunion hunting has become one of the famous sports of southern California. Since these fish leave the water to deposit their eggs, they may be picked up while they are briefly stranded. Racing for fish spotted far down the beach and trying to catch them by hand provides an exhilarating experience for young and old.

The season is closed however in April and May and it's still a lot of fun to observe the fish as they swim up on the beach. 

The California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) is a member of the New World silversides family, Atheriniopsidae, along with jacksmelt and topsmelt. Their usual range extends from Point Conception, California, to Point Abreojos, Baja California. Occasionally, they are found farther north, to Monterey Bay, California, and south to San Juanico Bay, Baja California. They inhabit the nearshore waters from the surf to a depth of 60 ft. Tagging studies indicate that they do not migrate.

Grunion are the object of a unique recreational fishery. These fish are famous for their remarkable spawning behavior, which evokes an “I don’t believe it!” response from people seeing or hearing about it for the first time.

Grunion leave the water at night to spawn on beaches during the spring and summer months. For four consecutive nights, beginning on the nights of the full and new moons, spawning occurs after high tides and continues for several hours. As waves break on the beach, grunion swim as far up the slope as possible.

The female arches her body and excavates the semi-fluid sand with her tail to create a nest. She twists her body and digs into the sand until she is half buried, with her head sticking up. She then deposits her eggs in the nest. Males curve around the female and release milt. The milt flows down the female's body until it reaches and fertilizes the eggs.

As many as eight males may fertilize the eggs in a single nest. After spawning, the males immediately retreat toward the water while the female twists free and returns with the next wave. While spawning may only take 30 seconds, some fish remain stranded on the beach for several minutes.

Spawning occurs from March through August, and occasionally in February and September. Peak spawning is late March to early June.

Mature grunion may spawn during successive runs, with females spawning up to six times each season. Females lay between 1,600 and 3,600 eggs during one spawn, with larger females producing more eggs.

Eggs are deposited during the highest tides of the month and incubate in the sand during the lower tides, when they will not be disturbed by wave action. The eggs are kept moist by residual water in the sand. They hatch about 10 days later, during the next high tide series, when they are inundated with sea water and agitated by rising surf.

Most grunion seen on southern California beaches are between 5 and 6 in. long, with some are as long as 7 in. An average one-year old male is 4½ in. long while a female the same age is slightly larger at 5 in. Grunion mature and spawn at the end of the first year. At the end of two years, males average 5½ in. and females are around 5¾ in. long. By the end of three years, an average male is nearly 6 in. and a female is a little over 6¼ inches in length. Few live for more than three years.

Grunion food habits are not well known. They have no teeth, so they are presumed to feed on very small organisms. Shore birds, isopods, flies, sand worms, and beetles eat grunion eggs, while humans, larger fish, and other animals prey upon grunion.

Despite local concentrations, grunion are not abundant. The most critical problem facing the grunion resource is the loss of spawning habitat caused by beach erosion, harbor construction, and pollution. By the 1920s, the fishery was showing definite signs of depletion. A regulation was passed in 1927 establishing a closed season of three months, from April through June. The fishery improved, and in 1947 the closure was shortened to April through May. This closure is still in effect to protect grunion during their peak spawning period.

During the open season, a fishing license is required for persons 16 years and older to capture grunion. Grunion may be taken by sport fishermen using hands only. No holes may be dug in the beach to entrap them. There is no bag limit, but fishermen may take only what they can use—it is unlawful to waste fish.

Under these regulations, the resource seems to be maintaining itself at a fairly constant level. While the population size is not known, all research points to a rather restricted resource that is appropriately harvested under existing law.

While grunion spawn on many beaches in southern California, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife does not recommend any particular beach because of changing safety conditions and local curfews. One of the best ways to find out which beaches have had recent runs is to call the state and county beach lifeguards who can often tell if spawning has taken place. There is a grunion program offered to the public at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on several nights of the season. Visit the Cabrillo Marine Aquariumfor more information.

Additional grunion information and volunteer programs may be found at: www.grunion.org.

Expected Grunion Runs for 2013

Open Season
March	11 12  13  14 27 28 29 30	Mo 10:10 p.m. - 12:10 a.m. Tu 10:40 p.m. - 12:40 a.m. We 11:10 p.m. - 1:10 a.m. Th 11:40 p.m. - 1:40 a.m. We 10:10 p.m. - 12:10 a.m. Th 10:40 p.m. - 12:40 a.m. Fr 11:20 p.m. - 1:20 a.m. Sa Midnight - 2:00 a.m.*
June	8 9  10  11  23 24 25 26	Sa 9:35 p.m. - 11:35 p.m. Su 10:05 p.m. - 12:05 a.m. Mo 10:40 p.m. - 12:40 a.m. Tu 11:10 p.m. - 1:10 a.m. Su 9:45 p.m. - 11:45 p.m. Mo 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Tu 11:20 p.m. - 1:20 a.m. We 12:15 a.m. - 2:15 a.m.*
July	8 9  10  11  22  23  24 25	Mo 9:50 p.m. - 11:50 a.m. Tu 10:25 p.m. - 12:25 a.m. We 10:55 p.m. - 12:55 a.m. Th 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. Mo 9:35 p.m. - 11:35 p.m. Tu 10:20 p.m. - 12:20 a.m. We 11:10 p.m. - 1:10 a.m. Th Midnight - 2:00 a.m.*
August	6  7  8  9  20 21  22 23	Tu 9:35 p.m. - 11:35 p.m. We 10:10 p.m. - 12:10 a.m. Th 10:40 p.m. - 12:40 a.m. Fr 11:20 p.m. - 1:20 a.m. Tu 9:40 p.m. - 11:40 p.m. We 10:20 p.m. - 12:20 a.m. Th 11:05 p.m. - 1:05 a.m. Fr 11:05 p.m. - 1:05 a.m.

Closed Season (Observation Only)
April	10 11  12  13 25 26 27  28	We 10:00 p.m. - Midnight  Th 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Fr 10:55 p.m. - 12:55 a.m. Sa 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m. Th 9:35 p.m. - 11:35 p.m. Fr 10:15 p.m. - 12:15 a.m. Sa 10:55 p.m. - 12:55 a.m. Su 11:45 p.m. - 1:45 a.m.
May	9 10  11  12  24 25 26  27	Th 9:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Fr 9:55 p.m. - 11:55 p.m. Sa 10:25 p.m. - 12:25 a.m. Su 10:55 p.m. - 12:55 a.m. Fr 9:10 p.m. - 11:10 p.m. Sa 9:55 p.m. - 11:55 p.m. Su 10:40 p.m. - 12:40 a.m. Mo 11:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.

The times given for each date reflect the probable two-hour interval during which a spawning run may occur. The second hour is usually better. The best runs normally occur on the second and third nights of a four-night period.

The times given are Pacific Daylight Savings Time. They refer to the grunion runs at Cabrillo Beach near the Los Angeles Harbor entrance. The timing of the runs varies at different places along the coast: San Diego runs occur about 5 minutes earlier and Santa Barbara runs occur about 25 minutes later than the times provided here.

REMINDER: During the open season, a California fishing license is required for persons 16 years and older. Grunion may be taken by hand only. No holes may be dug in the beach to entrap them. There is no bag limit, but take only the fish you can use - it is unlawful and unethical to waste fish.

 

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