Grunion classified in the family Atherinopsidae along with other New World silversides including the jacksmelt and topsmelt. The California grunion, "L. tenuis", is found along the Pacific Coast from Point Conception, California, to Punta Abreojos, Baja California Sur. They are rarely found between San Francisco in the north and San Juanico Bay, Baja California Sur, in the south. The Gulf grunion, "L. sardina", is found along the coast of Baja California in the Gulf of California. Inhabiting the nearshore waters from the surf to a depth of , marking experiments indicate they are not migratory. They are small, slender fish with
USS Grunion 1942. Captured Japanese records show no antisubmarine attacks in the Kiska area, and the fate of "Grunion" remained a mystery for 65 years, until the discovery in the Bering Sea in August 2007 of a wreck believed to be her. In October 2008, the U.S. Navy verified that the wreck is the "Grunion". The "Grunion" received one battle star for her World War II service. In 1998 Lieut. Col. Richard Lane purchased for $1 a wiring diagram from a Japanese cargo ship, the "Kano Maru", which had been active during World War II. Hoping to authenticate the document, Lane posted