Grunion The normal lifespan of the grunion is three to four years, although individuals up to five years old have been found. Their growth rate slows after the first spawning and stops completely during the spawning season. Consequently, adult fish grow only during the fall and winter. This growth rate variation causes annuli to form on the scales, which have been used for determining ages. California grunion spawn on beaches from two to six nights after the full and new moon beginning soon after high tide and continuing for several hours. As a wave breaks on the beach, the grunion swim
USS Grunion the Pacific on 24 May. A week later, as she transited the Caribbean Sea for Panama, she rescued 16 survivors of the USAT "Jack", which had been torpedoed by the , and conducted a fruitless search for 13 other survivors presumed to be in the vicinity. Arriving at Coco Solo on 3 June, the "Grunion" landed the survivors and continued on to Pearl Harbor, arriving on 20 June. Departing Hawaii on 30 June after ten days of intensive training, the "Grunion" touched Midway Island before heading toward the Aleutian Islands for her first war patrol. Her first report, made as