Is this the ultimate beach sex?
Millions of fish called grunions descend on California beaches for their annual orgy under the full moon.
“It was like a post-apocalyptic marine life Mad Max,” one citizen scientist wrote, describing the carnal gathering. BBC reported.
The sighting was one of many volunteer researchers who flock to the California coastline to witness the annual “Grunion Run,” which occurs from February to September each year, with an unusual peak between April and June. It’s a person.
For those of you who prefer single fish, these hot dog-shaped fish can grow up to 5 inches long. Southern California and Northern Baja California.
But their mating habits are unique, and unlike most fish, these silvery swimmers have sex on the shore, carpeting the sand like scaly spring breakers.
Females swim as close to the beach as possible during a bizarre mating ritual that takes place at high tide during full moon or new moon water sports. It then jumps from the sea to the shore and uses its tail to dig a hole in the sand into which it releases its eggs (usually about 3,000).
The male then swims in and fertilizes the herd. They remain buried until the next tide is high enough to reach them and wash them out to sea. Then the baby grunions hatch.
This sordid spring affair has become something of a local legend. This work was particularly featured in the 1991 teen comedy “Don’t Tell Mommy the Babysitter’s Dead.” The Guardian newspaper reported.
It also attracts many people, especially citizen scientists known as “Grunion Greeters” who have been observing schools of fish since 2002.
These volunteer voyeurs surveyed the scene at more than 50 California beaches and shared their findings with biologist Karen Martin, a scientist at Pepperdine University in Malibu who has studied grunions for decades. I will report it.
“We couldn’t do this work without them,” exclaimed the researchers, whose project included more than 5,000 contributors.
It may seem voyeuristic, but observing these beach orgies is the only way to study fish that are nearly impossible to count once they’re afloat.
‘Normal’ methods of stock assessment do not work. That’s because gronions are smart to avoid nets and avoid taking bait from fishing hooks, Martin explained.
As a result, the species’ marine habits have remained a mystery to scientists.
This type of research is essential given the reported decline in hybrid fish.
“Studies show that spawning California grionon numbers have declined over the past 10 years across most of their range in southern California,” said Deanna Porzio, senior environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. is shown,” he said.
Meanwhile, their seaside soirées are under threat from coastal erosion, the machinery that grooms the beaches, and climate change, which affects temperature-sensitive eggs.
As well as being vulnerable to birds and other predators, the frolicking grunions are also easy targets for humans, where they are used as bait or even fried as a snack.
