All fish / Serranidae

Summan grouper

Epinephelus summana

Also known as summana grouper, speckled-fin grouper, summan rock cod, white-spotted grouper, no, 萨马石斑鱼

A dark brown to greyish grouper covered in small pale spots with larger whitish blotches, found on coral reefs and in lagoons of the Red Sea. It is kept by public aquariums and keen large fish keepers for its bold character and hardiness.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

40 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: fish, shrimp, squid, crab and other meaty seafood

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

Breeding

Like other groupers it is a protogynous hermaphrodite that scatters pelagic eggs. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Grows to around 50 cm and will swallow any fish or crustacean that fits in its mouth, so it needs a very large system with robust tankmates. Rarely traded, so check identity against similar spotted groupers.