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Name/Relations || Range/Sizes || Habitat & Habits ||  Notes

Common Name:    Blue Runner
Other Common Names: Hardtail, runner, yellow jack
Scientific name: Caranx crysos
Family:    Carangidae (Jacks)
Related Species:  Bar Jack, Jack Crevalle, Amberjack, Yellow Jack

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Range: Atlantic Ocean from Virginia  to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Sizes:  To 7 lbs maximum, common 1/4lb-1.5 lbs

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Habitat: A schooling species. Reefs, Jetties, weedlines, grassbeds, bridge pilings inshore and offshore to 300 feet, though generally the larger fish occur offshore.  Prefers warmer waters over 70 degrees F, and as such is only a summer visitor north of Florida.

Spawning Habits:

Feeding Habits:   Aggressive cruiser and schooler.  Eats smaller fishes such as silversides, anchovies, glass minnows, as well as shrimps, squid, and small crabs. Can aggressively attack minnows even at relatively fast speeds, and can hunt in small packs to large schools. They will pick apart larger injured prey like pirahas, though they have no significant teeth.

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Notes: Very Agressive feeder and ultralight speed demon, they are my favorite ultralight spinning and flyfishing target in saltwater.   They will usually strike any swift and erratically moving lure such as a small jig (crappie jig/bucktail), plug, or spoon, even if the lure is much larger than the fish.  Also has a fondness for small live shrimp, squid, and glass minnow pieces.  Will cruise the surf for displaced shrimp, but is equally comfortable on offshre reefs and sargasso patties, and are caught accidentally by surf anglers, billfish trollers, and offshore snapper fishers. This fish is not only good to eat (though light on meat), but is absolutely deadly live bait for sailfish, mahi-mahi, grouper, amberjacks, tunas, and king mackeral (and others!)

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