FishOccasionalVisible while snorkeling

Summana grouper

Epinephelus summana

White spots and blotches sparkle on its dark body like stars on a night sky – and this grouper lives only in the Red Sea.

Photo: iNaturalist – (c) catta, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

The Summana grouper (Epinephelus summana) is endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden – around Hurghada you are looking at a fish you could search for in vain anywhere else in the world. Its dark brown to greyish-green body is covered in irregular white blotches and fine spots; on juveniles the white patches are even larger and bolder. The build is classic grouper: big head, wide mouth, powerful tail – everything about it says ambush predator.

Like most groupers it is a solitary, territorial hunter. By day it rests in caves, under ledges or in the shade of branching coral colonies, watching its surroundings – it hunts small fish and crustaceans, swallowing them with a single lightning-fast gulp of its expandable mouth. Unusually for a grouper, it also tolerates shallow, sheltered lagoons and even slightly murky bays where its relatives rarely venture. Juveniles often grow up hidden among the branches of staghorn corals.

Around Hurghada your best chances are on the shallower, coral-rich reefs: peer under ledges and into the shadowy gaps between coral blocks. It does not bolt in panic – it slowly backs into its hole instead, so if you approach calmly and from the side you can watch it from close range. Snorkelers can spot it too around coral heads on the shallow reef tops, especially on the sheltered side of the Giftun Islands.

Did you know?

Like all groupers, the Summana grouper is born female and only transforms into a male later in life as it climbs the local hierarchy – so the biggest individuals on the reef are almost always former ladies.

Where can you meet it?

Look for it under ledges in the coral gardens of the Giftun Islands and Small Giftun, among the blocks of Gota Abu Ramada and on the shallow Shaab Sabina reef.

Frequently asked questions

Not at all – it is completely harmless to people and rather shy. If you approach, it slowly retreats into its hideout, so patient, calm observation is the best tactic.

Yes, because it also likes shallow lagoons and reef tops. Watch the shaded side of coral heads: the dark, white-spotted body stands out even in the half-light.

Yes – the Summana grouper is endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. When you photograph one at Hurghada, you are capturing a fish that cannot be seen in 99% of the world's oceans.