08/17/2026
This Fish Leaves the Ocean to Lay Its Eggs in the Sand.
California grunion are small, silvery fish famous for one of the strangest spawning behaviors in nature. During specific nighttime high tides, they leave the ocean completely and come onto sandy Southern California beaches to lay their eggs.
The female digs into the wet sand and deposits her eggs beneath the surface, where they remain moist while incubating. The eggs usually develop for about 10 days, waiting for the next suitable high-tide series.
When the rising surf reaches the eggs, wave action helps trigger hatching, and the tiny young fish are carried back into the ocean. It is an extraordinary life cycle precisely timed with the tides and lunar cycle.
📚 Source:
California Department of Fish and Wildlife — California Grunion Facts and Expected Runs