rhizoverbBeta
DictionarygrunionBeach-spawning fish
noun

grunion

GRUN-yun/ˈɡrʌnjən/

A small marine fish that spawns on sandy beaches along the California coast.

Grunion came ashore to spawn.

Small coastal fish wriggle onto a sandy beach at the water’s edge and release eggs into the wet sand before the wave returns.
Etymology
grunionSpanishgrunting fish

Spanish gruñón means “grunting fish,” so the English name preserves an association between this coastal fish and a low, rough sound.

In context

TED-Ed narrator1:56
masses of California grunion flop their way onto sandy beaches, where females deposit thousands of eggs into the sand
The fish that walk on land - Noah R. Bressman
Deep Look narrator1:43
Growing up in this sandy nursery gives baby grunion an advantage.
These Fish Are All About Sex on the Beach | Deep Look

More examples

  • The small grunion moved across the wet sand.
  • The study tracked grunion along the California coast.
  • Observers watched the grunion run from a distance.

Forms

grunion · grunions

Similar words

smelt
Smelt names other small fish; grunion are distinguished by their beach-spawning behavior.