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Photo of a Blue Runner

Species profile

Blue Runner

Caranx crysos

Bony fishIUCN: Least Concern2.0K iNat observations

At a glance

Blue Runner (Caranx crysos) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.

Confirmed by 709 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, Alabama, and Texas the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

  • Grows to about 27 inches and can reach 11 pounds.
  • Travels in large, fast-moving schools visible from the water's surface.
  • Widely prized as live bait for tuna, marlin, and sailfish.
  • Found on both sides of the Atlantic, from Nova Scotia to Brazil.
  • Feeds on small fish, squid, and crustaceans, often hunting in coordinated schools.

Background

The blue runner, Caranx crysos (also known as the bluestripe jack, Egyptian scad, hardtail jack and hardnose), is a common species of moderately large marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The blue runner is distributed across the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Brazil to Canada in the western Atlantic and from Angola to Great Britain including the Mediterranean in the east…

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Blue Runner article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.