Bony fish · Perciformes · Carangidae

Rainbow Runner

Elagatis bipinnulata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The rainbow runner, a slender and highly streamlined jack, its blue-green back marked by two horizontal blue bands framing a yellow stripe. It swims in warm open water in every ocean, often in fast-moving shoals along outer reefs.

Weight

up to 46.2 kg

Size

60 cm – 1.8 m

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore In schools Fish Ocean

9countries4same family

Fun facts

It deliberately rubs against the rough skin of sharks to scrape off skin parasites, a risky behaviour documented in several parts of the world.
It gathers beneath floating objects in the open sea, a habit the tuna fleets exploit by setting adrift floating platforms.
It is one of the fastest fish in its family and a regular catch of offshore fishing.
It is the only representative of its genus, which was created fifteen years after the species was described.
It swims very fast and hunts small fish, cephalopods and a wide range of planktonic crustaceans.
It is rare or absent in the Persian Gulf, despite being a practically circumtropical species.

Life cycle & biology

Habitat & environment: Warm open waters, often associated with floating objects and outer reefs
Sexual maturity: Length at first maturity 64.6 cm; it spawns at around 60 cm

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elagatis_bipinnulata