California grunion
(Leuresthes tenuis)
Image source: Christian Schwarz | inaturalist.org
General data
Leuresthes tenuis, the California grunion, is a species of ray-finned fish native to the Pacific coast of North America from Monterey Bay in California to Baja California. This species grows to 19 cm (7 in) in total length and is of minor importance to local fisheries, particularly during grunion runs in which the fish beach themselves to lay their eggs and are easily taken.
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.
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).
