The diversity of aquatic and marine life is nature’s greatest marvel. Initially, we might assume that the water-dwelling animals might be limited, specifically fish starting with V although, the sea is much deeper than we think!
We understand that it could be hard to wrap one’s head around all the animals that start with the letter ‘V’ but ease your mind! we’ve got everything covered as we have hand-picked the top 8+ fishes from the diverse variety of fish starting with V
Today, we will discuss all you need to know about the top 8 fish that start with V. Let’s dive into the unknown waters and uncover the hidden gems of nature! So, Take a look at some of the most well-known fish starting with V.
Velvet Cichlid (Astronotus ocellatus)
The velvet cichlid is a must-watch spectacle of aquatic life. This beautiful fish starting with V, comes from the freshwater rivers of tropical South America. Due to its stunning looks and vibrant color, this fish is widely known as the “Oscar fish”.
This Oscar-winning fish has a stunning stocky and muscular body with a vibrant orange or red color. It has a maximum size of 12 inches. This vibrant fish usually has marbly patterns, speckles, and stripes all over its stunning bright body.
In its wild habitat, the Oscar fish likes to live in slow-moving freshwaters such as small rivers and tributaries. Their natural habitat has a lot of hiding places made of rocks and submerged logs. It makes them quite playful and interesting. Although this fish looks friendly, it can be quite territorial as it prefers to dominate in its locality.
If you’re wondering to have this finny friend as your pet, you’re in luck. Our little aquatic friend is widely domesticated due to its beautiful looks and interesting personality. This fish is very interactive, especially with its owner.
In terms of the fish tank, we suggest having at least a 75-gallon tank with plenty of space for our dazzling showstopper to swim around. A neutral water condition of about 7 pH is ideal. Keep in mind that this fish likes to live in hardy water conditions, so there’s nothing to worry about as moderate care will suffice.
As this freshwater fish turns out to be an omnivore, they can pretty much munch on everything. we suggest feeding them a mixed diet of brine shrimp, fish pallets, bloodworms, and even some chopped vegetables.
Virgin Spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis)
As the name suggests, this tiny fish starting with V, swims around the Virgin River of America. Generally, this fin is found in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and surrounding waters. Thanks to its beauty and shiny looks, it is widely known as the “White River Spinedace” or the “Moapa Dace”.
Reaching up to a size of 6 inches, this shimmery fish has a silvery skin with a brassy sheen on top. Moreover, this fish has tiny black speckles that add more accent to its overall look. The males develop a reddish-orange splash of color near the fins while the females lack this pop of color.
Image Source: Roughfish
Unlike other freshwater fish, our little shimmery friend stays near home, rather than roaming the wild waters. It prefers slow-moving waters and likes to hang out near the edges of the streams to find shelter among the plants and rocks.
Unfortunately, this fish is not fit for an aquarium. Their specific habitat conditions are hard to replicate and maintain. However, its company can be enjoyed on the shorelines of the Virgin River as they usually dwell on the edges in search of food. Their diet consists of small insect larvae and algae.
Vampire Tetra (Hydrolycus scomberoides)
The vampire tetra is not a typical fish starting with V. This gothic sea creature originates from the Amazon and Orinoco River basins of South America. They are also known as the “Payara” which reflects their predatory fish.
As the name suggests, this tetrafish has an elongated and stocky body reaching up to 12 inches. This fish has the ideal predator body. It has a pair of enormous fangs protruding from its lower jaw which make it look exactly like the little monster that it is.
This aquatic vampire likes to live in murky slow-moving freshwater, preferably where a lot of cover is available. Its predatory nature allows it to ambush smaller fish with lightning-fast and agile movements.
Image Source: Fish Laboratory
While it is undeniably cool, we suggest not having one as an aquarium pet. This fish is not domesticated due to its large size, aggressive nature, demanding space, and diet which includes live fish!
The Vampire Tetra is a carnivore, meaning it solely eats meat. Maintaining such feed is quite a challenge, especially when the source has to be another living fish. Other options include crustaceans and insects.
Violet Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii)
This violet gem lurks across the brackish Atlantic coast of America, from South Carolina to Northern Brazil. It inhabits bays, estuaries, and river mouths with muddy bottoms. Due to its mesmerizing looks, it is well known as the “Dragon Goby”.
This fish isn’t so flashy yet very interesting! It rather has an eel-like elongated body of about 24 inches in length. But in captivity, it usually reaches 15 inches in length. Mostly, this fish is seen with a violet-grey color However, in some cases healthy dragon goby can also have a shiny shimmer with a bluish sheen. In addition, it has small grey eyes that complete the aesthetic.
Image source: Shorefishes
Violet goby can tolerate a range of salinity but they prefer brackish waters, which is a mixture of freshwater and saltwater. This makes their environment quite salty, but not as much as seawater. Most of its time is spent buried in the mud or scrapping algae from rocks, with its sharp teeth.
These bottom dwellers are not suitable as aquarium pets, as they require brackish water and large tanks. The minimum tank size for a dragon gobby is 450 liters. The burrowing nature is also unsuitable for a fish tank.
The violet gobby is an opportunistic feeder, meaning that it eats what it gets from the muddy sediments on the waterbeds, no matter if it’s algae, small invertebrates, or organic materials.
Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabonds)
This captivating fish is a resident of the Tropical and Subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from the Eastern Coast of Africa to the Central Western Pacific Ocean. This marine marvel usually inhabits the salty waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines. Due to its amazing look, it is widely known as the Crisscross Butterflyfish.
This dazzling marine water dweller has a white body of about 9 inches long. In addition, its long body is adorned with thin black lines that make an interesting chevron pattern. A Bold black band can be seen running through the eyes as well as the tail. Lastly, the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins have a contrasting yellow color.
The crisscross butterfly fish prefers to lurk in clear salt water like coral reefs and lagoons. However, it often ventures into slightly cloudy areas. It can form cute pairs and even become territorial with their crisscross companions.
Although our marine friend is perfect as an aquarium fish, it comes with a price. The mesmerizing vagabond butterflyfish requires a relatively large tank of about 125 gallons. Moreover, a specific environment must be maintained to mimic its natural habitat.
The vagabond butterflyfish is an omnivore, meaning it eats all sorts of food including crustaceans, coral polyps, algae, crustaceans, and worms. If kept in captivity, we suggest feeding it a mix of high-quality flakes, meaty foods, and algae.
This demanding friend might even end up nibbling the coral polyps that make up the reef structure, causing them harm. All in all, this fish is no child’s play! It requires a lot of care and commitment, so keep that in mind before adding it to your fish collection.
Vermillion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus)
This feisty fish is a resident of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the waters of Baja California to the Prince Willian Sound, Alaska. This habitat makes it a saltwater fish. Due to its perch-like body shape, vibrant red hue, and bottom-dwelling lifestyle, it has common names like the “Vermillion Seaperch”, and the “Red Rock Cod”.
Among other sea creatures that start with V, this fish is a true gem! With a stunning reddish-orange color, it bedazzles the surroundings with its presence. Additionally, it has a stocky body with an average length of up to 12 to 16 inches. It also has a subtle gray mottling with grey or black speckles. The spiny fins might also share the red color of the body with black and grey margins, especially in younger fish.
As funny as it seems, this beauty has a larger head than its body with relatively smaller eyes. This makes it very gullible although the real reason behind smaller eyes is to achieve better vision in low light.
Vermillion Rockfish prefer open waters. it likes to dwell on the bottom of rocky reefs. However, juveniles prefer shallow waters with kelp beds for more protection. Low water temperature is ideal for this fish.
This fish is a perfect aquarium pet although, its boasting presence comes at a cost! It requires a large tank of hundreds of gallons of space. The water temperature must be cold and salt levels must replicate seawater. The setting of the aquarium must mimic a natural rocky reef. Having some depth in the aquarium is ideal as well.
If you think you can manage all the huge demands of our little friend, then get ready to add a splash of color to your aquarium with this beautiful red jewel!
Vagra Baril (Barilius vagra)
The Vagra Baril is a freshwater fish native to the streams of South Asia. Due to its distinct features and uniqueness, it is widely known as “Dudhnea”, “Gheur”, and “Glar”.
This fish starting with V has a slender and elongated body that can reach a maximum length of up to 6.1 inches. It wears a shiny silvery sheen with a series of 13 to 18 blueish or greenish spots on its lateral body. Moreover, yellow and pinkish fins can also be seen, these are a statement of its glamour. Additionally, Glar has barbels that act as sensory receptors.
Vagra Baril likes to dwell in cold hilly streams with rocky bottoms. its streamlined body makes it an expert navigator in these calm slow-moving streams.
Image Source: Aqualog
This fish is suitable for an aquarium but we would not suggest keeping this fish as a pet. Because of its decreasing population, it is considered endangered in specific regions of Asia, such as Bangladesh. Due to this reason, the mindset of domesticating this fish has been shifting.
Its diet primarily includes algae, insect larvae, and small crustaceans. However, it’s an omnivore that enjoys a variety of foods.
Violet Damsel (Neopomacentrus fallax)
This captivating fish belongs to the Western Indian Ocean (specifically regions of Mozambique). Due to its unique appearance and distinctive looks, it is widely known as the “Yellow-Tailed Demoiselle” and the “False Damsel”.
This beautiful damselfish boasts a dusky grey color with 3 discrete violet spots. These spots are specifically located above the pectoral fins. The cheeks and snout of this Indian gem have a violet sheen. Interestingly, this fish is only 3.5 inches long but packs a punch in the visuals department!
Image Source: iNaturalist
This fish prefers coral reefs and sheltered areas with rocky coastlines. Shallow waters with plenty of hiding places are their favorite. This slightly territorial species likes to establish small territories in crevices and sponges.
Although this V fish is a feast to the eyes, this is not the best pick for a home aquarium due to its aggressive temperament and susceptibility to stress in confined spaces. This fish is known to catch a disease if any aggressive activity takes place, or if the water conditions are not good enough. Their requirements make it very sensitive so we suggest not having it as a pet.
More Fish Starting With V
- Vampire Pleco (Hypancistrus zebra)
- Vaillanti Blenny (Ecsenius vaigiensis)
- Variegated Shark (Triakis semifasciata)
- Venus Flytrap Lionfish (Pterois miles)
- Violet Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Viperfish (Chauliodus Sloan)
- Vlamingi Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Voracious Wrasse (Halichoeres vorax)
- Velvet Whalefish (Barbourisia rufa)
- Vee Head Parrotfish (Sparisoma radians)
- Variegated Puffer (Arothron mancus)
- Vénézuela Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus)
- Variatus Platy (Xiphophorus variatus)
FAQ’s
What animal begins with the letter V
There isn’t an actual number of animals that begin with The vast diversity of wildlife is uncountable. Many fish from the sea start with the letter V and many animals from the land start with the letter V. In the Sea, Animal starting with the letter V include Vendelia, Velvet fish, Velvet sculpin, and many more.
White, fish starting with V
A beautiful fish starting with V is the Vendace. Originating from northern Europe and Asia, it is known for its silvery white coloration and is often loved for its delicate flavor.
Freshwater fish starting with V
Vendace is a freshwater fish that is discussed above. Moreover, another freshwater fish is the Vermilion darter. It is a small and colorful fish that originates from the United States, particularly in the streams of Alabama.
Conclusion
Today we covered the most popular fish that start with V. Additionally, we discussed their natural habitats, Behavior, and Diet. All in all, we took a glimpse of the underwater world of fish starting with V. However, it’s important to know that this isn’t all. This article is a mere glance of the underwater world and there is much to learn. So, keep up with our articles to uncover the mysteries of the aquatic world
Let me ask: Do you know about a fish that starts with V? Let us know in the comments below!
In essence, this article is proof that nature and our world are way more than what we think. To keep learning about the best underwater marvels, accompany us on an amazing journey of the aquatic world.