Summan Grouper

Epinephelus summana, commonly known as the summan grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Epinephelinae within the family Serranidae, which also encompasses the anthias and sea basses. This species originates from the Eastern 🌊 Indian Ocean and occasionally enters the aquarium trade.

Epinephelus summana exhibits a standard length that is approximately 2.7 to 3.1 times its body depth. It is characterized by a flat or slightly concave interorbital region. The preopercle features slightly enlarged serrations at its corner, while the gill cover displays a highly convex upper margin. Its dorsal fin comprises 11 spines and 14-16 soft rays, whereas the anal fin consists of 3 spines and 8-9 rays. The membranes between the dorsal fin spines are notched, and the caudal fin is rounded. The species is predominantly dark olive-brown to dark brownish-grey with large pale blotches, most of which exceed the size of the eyes, overlaid with numerous small white spots. These small white spots are also present on the fins, except for the pectoral fins where they are confined to the base. The species can attain a maximum standard length of 52 centimeters (20 inches).

Geographically, Epinephelus summana is distributed in the western part of the 🌊 Indian Ocean, specifically in the 🌊 Red Sea, the 🌊 Gulf of Aden, and around Socotra (🇾🇪 Yemen).

Habitat-wise, Epinephelus summana is a reef-associated species inhabiting shallow protected coral reefs, lagoons, and seaward reef slopes, within depths ranging from 1 to 30 meters. It may also be found in brackish-water environments. To date, there is no published biological information regarding this species.

The species was first described in 1775 by Finnish explorer Peter Forsskål (1732-1763) as Perca summana, with the type locality noted as the 🌊 Red Sea.

Epinephelus summana is primarily captured by small local fisheries and has been observed in fish markets in 🇪🇬 Egypt and 🇸🇩 Sudan. It occasionally appears in the aquarium trade as well.