Grunion

] With these regulations, the resource seems to be maintaining itself at a fairly constant level. While the population size is not known, all research points to a rather restricted resource that is appropriately harvested under existing law.

History

The coastal Indians in California harvested grunion during spawning runs. Archeologists have found fossil grunion otoliths (tiny, bonelike particles or stony platelike structures in the internal ear of lower vertebrates) at various Indian campsites.

Grunion were mentioned by Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo in his ship's log (circa 1542).

Scientists first identified grunion in San Francisco Bay in 1860 (Ayres, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (Ser. 1) v. 2).

India

Fishermen on the West coast of India wade into muddy and sandy beaches a low tides and collect grunion that are black in color. These are called 'mud fish' locally and are abundant at low tide especially where the rivers meet the sea. It is a painstaking job to wade through thick sandy sludge for hours to gather a wicker basket full of grunion that do not fetch a good price in the market. The grunion remain alive for a long time after they are harvested from the sand/mud sludge and are very frisky. They have to be contained in a basket. Customers buy live grunion and bring them to the kitchen table. They are washed in tap water to get rid of all the muck and then a handful of common salt is thrown into the pot where they have been kept and the lid closed quickly. A tumultous noise is emitted from inside the pot while the grunion vigorously jump about. After a minute or so all is silent. The salt is washed away and the grunion are deep fried in a batter of spices and gram flour or are cooked in a curry. Both dishes are very tasty and a delicacy among the Maharashtrians in and around Bombay and the Parsis. Unfortunately, grunion fishermen do not find the work paying nowadays and consider it degrading to wade through the often smelly and dark slush. Grunion with roe are an even greater delicacy.

Trivia

* Music: Frank Zappa wrote a song named "Grunion Run" (originally released as a single by The Hollywood Persuaders), and so has Jonathan Richman ("Grunion Run" on his album "I, Jonathan"). There have also been "Grunion Run" songs by Peter Yates, the Halibuts and the Insect Surfers. Sandra Tsing Loh, on her "Pianovisions" album has "Night of the Grunion," a jazz piano solo performed by her and a chamber orchestra at Malibu Beach in 1989.
* Television: Three episodes of "The Beverly Hillbillies" (originally aired in 1971) were about an expected grunion run ("The Grunion Invasion", "The Girls from Grun", and "The Grun Incident"). The Hillbillies prepare for an invasion of grunion, which they think are foreign invaders.
* Television: An episode of "Beverly Hills, 90210" had the gang at the beach during a grunion run.
* Television: An episode of "Three's Company" where Larry's sister visited included a grunion run, which (in the series' signature style) had everyone suspect Jack of trying to woo her.
* Television: A humorous reference was made to the unusual--albeit necessary--technique for catching grunion toward the end of the Walker, Texas Ranger episode "The Siege."
* Poetry: Charles Bukowski in his book "Mockingbird Wish Me Luck" (Black Sparrow Press 1972) had a couple of poems about grunion runs, "the hunt" and "grab for grunion". Below is an excerpt from "the hunt" [http://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/bukowski.htm] :

::and the grunion ran again::through the oily sea::to plant eggs on shore and be caught::by unemployed drunks::with flopping canvas hats::and no woman at all.

* Movies: Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead features a romantic scene amidst a grunion mating
* Books: F. Scott Fitzgerald included a scene in which the two main characters are on the beach during grunion mating season in his final unfinished novel, "The Love of the Last Tycoon".

References

* Paul A. Gregory, California’s Marine Living Resources: A Status Report - Grunion, California Department of Fish and Game, December 2001.
* California Grunion Facts and Expected Runs for 2005, California Department of Fish and Game.

Note: much of this article is from the two public domain references above.

External links

* [http://www.grunion.org grunion.org]
* [http://arachnid.pepperdine.edu/grunion/volunteer.htm Grunion Greeters (volunteer observers)]
* [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/grnindx3.html The Amazing Grunion]
* [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/gruschd.html California Grunion Facts and Runs for 2006]
* [http://www.cabrilloaq.org/spevents.html#grunion The Cabrillo Museum Grunion Programs] in San Pedro, California
* [http://www-csgc.ucsd.edu/STORIES/grunion.html Does Beach Grooming Harm Grunion Eggs?]
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Eschmeyer/EschPiscesSummary.cfm?vcas_spc=13990 Fishbase "Leuresthes tenuis" (Ayres 1860) California grunion]
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Eschmeyer/EschPiscesSummary.cfm?vcas_spc=34057 Fishbase "Leuresthes sardina" (Jenkins & Evermann 1889) Gulf grunion]
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=6285&genusname=Colpichthys&speciesname=regis Fishbase "Colpichthys regis" (Jenkins & Evermann, 1889) False grunion]
* [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grunion19jun19,0,6997625,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines Decoding the Grunion's Ways - LA Times article]