# Coordinated terrestrial locomotion in California grunion ( Leuresthes tenuis )

## TL;DR

California grunion fish use two coordinated movements on land to escape water and spawn, with each movement having distinct advantages for locomotion.

## Contribution

First kinematic description of grunion terrestrial locomotion behaviors using video recordings.

## Key findings

- Tail-flip jumps cover more ground per event.
- Repeated sidestepping matches tail-flip jumps in distance per unit time.

## Abstract

Terrestrial locomotor behaviors in fishes allow fishes to escape biotic and abiotic pressures in aquatic habitats. Emerging to spawn once a year, California grunion beach themselves during Spring high tides. We described two coordinated behaviors that adult grunion consistently perform during short, but regular, bouts of movement on land: the tail-flip jump and “sidestepping” behavior. While tail-flip jumping covered more ground per event, repeated sidestepping allowed grunion to cover comparable ground per unit time. This is the first published kinematic description of grunion locomotor behaviors in terrestrial habitats based on video recordings.