grunion
Moonlit beach fish
Grunion are small silvery fish found along the California coast, famous for their unusual spawning behavior.
On certain spring and summer nights following high tides, they ride waves onto beaches, where females burrow tail-first into wet sand to deposit eggs while males curve around them to fertilize.
The spectacle draws crowds: We stayed up to watch the grunion run.
Sandy waterside margin
- sandFine rock particles
- surfWaves near shore
- tideOcean's cyclical swell
- moonlightReflected solar radiance, nocturnal
eggs · burrow · wiggle · stranding · females · males · mating · lunar
Visually striking event
- crowdsAssembled multitudes
- flashlightsPortable battery-powered lamps
- catchingAble to be transmitted
- barehandedWithout hand covering
buckets · phenomenon · gathering · seasonal · predictable · surge · wave · wildlife
beach
Sandy waterside margin
moonlight · eggs · burrow · wiggle · stranding · females · males · mating · lunar · synchrony
spectacle
Visually striking event
- crowdsAssembled multitudes
- flashlightsPortable battery-powered lamps
- catchingAble to be transmitted
barehanded · buckets · phenomenon · gathering · seasonal · predictable · surge · wave · wildlife · observation
smelt
Ore-refining process
baitfish · silverfish · endemic · Pacific · small · slender · iridescent · scales · fins · gills