RUNNER, RAINBOW

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RUNNER, RAINBOW

Scientific Name: 
Elagatis bipinnulatus, Elagatis bipinnulata
Salt/Fresh: 
Salt
Also Known As: 
Rainbow Runner; Rainbow Kingfish; Rainbow Yellowtail; Runner; Skipjack; Shoemaker; Hawaiian Salmon; Prodigal Son; RUNNER, RAINBOW
Rating: 
Countries: 
Australia
Description: 

The Rainbow Runner is a beautifully coloured relative of the yellowtail kingfish of the sub tropic and tropic waters

How To Identify: 

Rainbow Runner is a cigar shaped fish that resembles a kingfish. It has brilliant colours of green, purple and blue. The back is a deep purple shading into green. The belly is silver. It has two electric blue longitudinal stripes down its body bordered with a clean yellow. The Rainbow Runners tail fin is yellow and deeply forked. Rainbow Runners can grow to over 12kgs.

How To Catch: 

Rainbow Runners are rarely targeted on their own, but usually caught when targeted larger off shore pelagic. Most times the fighting ability of the Rainbow Runner is somewhat reduced as often caught with heavier gear for other species, however on light gear they are a tough fighter. Marlin fisherman chase Rainbow Runners as prime bait for large marlin. They will take most lures that would be used to target Mackerel, Tuna, Wahoo or Marlin. They will also take fish bait such as pilchards or small live baits.

Where Found: 

Rainbow Runners occur worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters. In Australia they are found from Northern New South Wales when the warm clean current push down that far throughout Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia down as far as Shark Bay. Rainbow Runners enjoy hot clean ocean currents near deep water.

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