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Blue runner
BAR JACK (Blue Runner)
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Taxonomy
The bar jack was first described as Scomber ruber by Bloch in 1793. Later in the same year, Bloch redescribed the bar jack as Caranx ruber.Caranx is derived from the French word "carangue" which means a Caribbean fish while ruber is Latin for "red".
Common NamesBar jack, black jack, blue runner, blue-striped cavalla, crevalle jack, crevalle, greenback, jack, neverbite, passing jack, point nose, rainbow crevalle, red jack, runner, skip jack, and skip-jack are common English names.
Description
Color light olive to bluish green above; silvery gray to golden below; frequently black spot on operculum; readily distinguished from crevalle jack by lack of black blotch on pectoral fin; tail tips blackish.
Size:
Usually less than 1 pound (12 inches).
Geographical Distribution
The bar jack is found from New Jersey through Bermuda, in most of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the West Indies. It is uncommon in the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is the most common Caranx in the West Indies and Bahamas.
Habitat
The bar jack usually lives in clear, shallow waters over coral reefs. It is typically found in schools varying in size from a few fish to many. Occasionally the bar jack is seen swimming alone. Juveniles may be observed under patches of Sargassum mats. Schools of larger fish also occur under large Sargassum on occasion.
