Grunion Run

Every summer these crazy little fish called Grunion get down on their own version of a SoCal full moon rave. At high tide, LA's original Lekkers cast themselves onto the shore to form a vast, shimmering, silver fish orgy. Definitely worth checking out!

California Grunion Facts (excerpted from CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife):

Grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) are members of the New World silversides family, Atheriniopsidae, along with the jacksmelt and topsmelt. They normally occur 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 feet. Tagging studies indicate that they are nonmigratory.

Grunion are the object of a unique recreational fishery. These fish are famous for their spawning behavior that is so remarkable that it evokes an "I don't believe it" response from someone who hears about it for the first time.

Grunion leave the water at night to spawn on the beach in the spring and summer months for four consecutive nights starting the nights of the full and new moons. Spawning begins after high tide and continues for several hours. As a wave breaks on the beach, grunion swim as far up the slope as possible. The female arches her body and excavates the semifluid sand with her tail to create a nest. She twists her body and digs until she is half buried in the sand 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 nest. After spawning, the males immediately retreat toward the water while the female twists free and returns with the next wave. While spawning may take only 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 individuals may spawn during successive runs at about 15-day intervals. Females can spawn up to six times each season. Females lay between 1,600 and 3,600 eggs during one spawn, with larger females producing more eggs.

JUNE
18 We 9:25 PM - 11:25 PM
19 Th 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM*
20 Fr 10:35 PM - 12:35 AM*
21 Sa 11:10 PM - 1:10 AM*

JULY
2 We 9:10 PM - 11:10 PM
3 Th 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM*
4 Fr 10:45 PM - 12:45 AM*
5 Sa 11:35 PM - 1:35 AM*

18 Fr 9:50 PM - 11:50 PM
19 Sa 10:25 PM - 12:25 AM*
20 Su 11:00 PM - 1:00 AM*
21 Mo 11:35 PM - 1:35 AM*

AUGUST
1 Fr 9:50 PM - 11:50 PM
2 Sa 10:35 PM - 12:35 AM*
3 Su 11:15 PM - 1:15 AM*

16 Sa 9:35 PM - 11:35 PM
17 Su 10:10 PM - 12:10 AM*

30 Sa 9:40 PM - 11:40 PM
31 Su 10:20 PM - 12:20 AM*