Slingjaw wrasse

At first glance the slingjaw wrasse (Epibulus insidiator) looks like an ordinary deep-bodied wrasse – until it eats. That is when its mouth reveals itself as a folding tube mechanism that shoots forward by more than half its head length in a flash, sucking in prey like a vacuum cleaner. It is one of the most protrusible mouths in the animal kingdom. The scientific name – insidiator, "the ambusher" – describes its hunting technique perfectly.

By colour you would take them for two entirely different fish: females are often brilliant lemon-yellow or brown, while mature males are dark grey with a white head and an orange back. It cruises slowly and gracefully over the coral branches, watching for crabs and small fish – its apparent calm is its weapon, since prey realises too late that it has drifted into firing range. Like most wrasses it starts life as a female and may later turn into a male.

Around Hurghada you can meet it on coral-rich plateaus and slopes: it is not an abundant species, but single individuals turn up regularly on the reefs around the Giftun Islands, El Fanadir and Abu Ramada. The yellow females stand out from far away and can be spotted while snorkeling in shallower water too. If you are lucky enough to catch one hunting, don't blink – the famous jaw strike is almost too fast to follow with the naked eye.