Rainbow runner
Elagatis bipinnulata
Sighting evidence at Leven Bank, Zanzibar Island
Iridescent blue and yellow with a distinctive horizontal stripe, rainbow runners form the largest schools at Leven Bank, sometimes numbering several thousand fish that coil around the seamount in tight cylinders visible from the surface. They feed on small fish and squid concentrated by the bank's upwelling. Their schooling behaviour creates one of the most visually spectacular backdrops in East African diving, and their numbers in turn attract the sharks and tuna that make this site exceptional.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Rainbow runner is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.