Considering how much of our planet is covered in bodies of water, it’s easy to understand how there are so many fish and sea creatures we’ve either only discovered recently or have yet to discover. For instance, you might not realize just how many fish there are that start with the letter V.
Our list of 75+ popular fish starting with V feature names that many aquatic lovers will recognize, along with names of fish that may only be recognized in a picture.
Some of these fish could become part of your next aquarium. Many of them, however, are such rare finds that they’ve only been spotted by a few people.
One of the most distinct takeaways from this list is just how diverse the types of fish and sea creatures are on this list in terms of where they live and how often they’re seen. For many of these fish, the only thing they have in common is that they start with the same letter of the alphabet.
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75+ Popular Fish Starting With V
It’s likely very difficult for most to come up with the name of a fish that starts with this letter. In reality, many fish are known by a few different names, with some more commonly used than others.
As such, you might know who some of these fish are, but just don’t recognize their name that starts with the letter V.
A large portion of the fish on the list live in various freshwater or saltwater regions of the world. There aren’t many that live in tropical areas.
However, many of the fish discovered for this list live deep within the oceans and seas, in reefs or in marine conditions. They live so low in the water that they have only been seen sporadically since they’ve been discovered.
Our Top 7 Fish Starting With V
Below are some of the prominent fish that have names starting with V. They vary in terms of where they live and what they look like, but they are memorable and fascinating fish in their own right.
Other similar posts:
- Popular Fish That Start with J
- Popular Fish That Start with Q
- Popular fish that start with U
- Popular Fish That Start With O
1. Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus)
The vagabond butterflyfish is quite a visually striking fish found in African and Japanese regions, but is also available to be a part of your aquarium.
This is a white fish with black striping towards its tail and its face, with a vibrant yellow stripe along its tail as well. Their tails are yellow with a translucent edge, and they have spiky scales at the tops of their body.
Having a vagabond butterflyfish in a home aquarium does require some experience with fish, as they are known to have territorial tendencies. They enjoy a carnivorous diet and fairly warm salt water. They need a fairly large aquarium and need to be tank mates with other confident fish.
2. Vermillion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus)
One thing many fish starting with the letter V have in common is their distinctive appearances. This is definitely true of the vermillion rockfish with its sharp-looking fins, large eyes, and bright red body.
While the vermillion rockfish doesn’t grow to be exponentially large, they are known to live up to 60 years.
Unfortunately, because these fish don’t spawn that often, they have become endangered. As a result, any waters they’re found in tend to be monitored to avoid putting them at any more risk.
Some other names this fish goes by include red snapper, rasher, and red rock cod. However, the name vermillion rockfish truly captures its essence better than any other name.
3. Violet Damsel (Neopomacentrus fallax)
The stunning violet damsel is an eye-catching fish with brilliant violet and blue scales. One might also refer to this marine fish as the sky blue damsel, the sapphire devil, or the blue devil.
One cannot usually catch a glimpse of this beauty outside of the Indian and Pacific oceans, though if you’re lucky, you might find one ready to come home to an aquarium.
While the violet damsel doesn’t require a lot of specialized care, they are known for aggressive tendencies so tank mate selection needs to be done carefully. The violet damsel is a small fish, so they don’t need a large aquarium, but they do need their water kept very clean and regulated.
4. Violet Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii)
The violet goby is a somewhat widespread fish as they are able to thrive in different kinds of water. They are a fairly long, thin fish with a brilliant purple sheen to them and their body structure resembles that of an eel.
Given the appearance of scales along their bodies, the violet goby is sometimes called a dragon fish. As beautiful as the violet goby is, it’s not a fish that’s safe for aquarium living. This stunning fish is best left to roam around its natural habitat.
5. Velvet Whalefish (Barbourisia rufa)
The velvet whalefish not only has a cool name, but has a very unique appearance. This deep swimming fish is a bright reddish orange hue and is apparently very soft; hence its velvet moniker.
Though it’s very rare to catch a glimpse of one of these beauties, they swim through the warm waters of Japan and New Zealand among other places.
There’s still a lot to learn about the velvet whalefish because it’s such an elusive sea creature. Outside of how uncharacteristically soft the texture of this fish’s scales are, they are also believed to eat crustaceans and, when doing so, can expand their jaws very wide.
6. Vanjaram (Scomberomorus guttatus)
The vanjaram is also known as the Indo-Pacific King Mackerel, found in fairly substantial quantities in the Indian Ocean. When full-grown, this fish can grow to be up to 100 pounds. They grow to be quite long as well, with a silver body and beady eyes.
While the vanjaram puts up quite the fight when it’s caught, many fishers enjoy catching the thrill of being able to hook one of these large fish. In India, the vanjaram is considered a delicacy for its unique taste and its nutritional value.
7. Virgin Spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis)
The virgin spinedace might only be a small minnow found in a small area, but its beauty deserves the spotlight. As its name would imply, these little fish swim around the Virgin River and other fairly small regions of the United States.
Since they only live in a few places in the world, they are considered quite vulnerable, though conservation efforts have proven somewhat successful.
One of the memorable aspects of the virgin spinedace is its appearance; their body is made of a golden shiny hue with small and sporadic black speckles. This fish also carries an overall brassy tone which is quite unique.
Freshwater Fish Starting With V
1. Vampire Pleco (Leporacanthicus galaxias)
2. Victoria Stonebasher (Marcusenius victoriae)
3. Volga Undermouth (Chondrostoma variabile)
4. V-Lip Redhorse (Moxostoma papillosum)
5. Victoria Barb (Barbus viktorianus)
6. Vancouver Lamprey (Lampetra macrostoma)
7. Victorian Scalyfin (Parma victoriae)
8. Variable Platy (Xiphophorus variatus)
9. Verduya’s Hap (Copadichromis trimaculatus)
10. Vampire Tetra (Hydrolycus scomberoides)
11. Vityaz’ Frostfish ( Benthodesmus vityazi)
12. Vaillant’s Anchovy (Anchoviella vaillanti)
13. Victoria Tilapia (Oreochromis variabilis)
14. Vagra Baril (Barilius vagra)
15. Vachelli’s Glass Perchlet (Ambassis vachellii)
16. Vendance (Coregonus vandesius)
17. Valencian Toothcarp (Valencia hispanica)
Saltwater Fish Starting With V
1. Volitans Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
2. Veiltail Bristlenose (Ancistrus sp.)
3. Velvet Cichlid (Astronotus ocellatus)
4. Violet Pleco (Hypostomus soniae)
5. Vermiculate Wrasse (Macropharyngodon bipartitus bipartitus)
6. Vanderbilt’s Chromis (Chromis vanderbilti)
7. Vermillion Grouper (Cephalopholis miniata)
8. Vlamingi Tang (Naso vlamingii)
9. Viejita Apisto (Apistogramma viejita)
10. Valentini Puffer Fish (Canthigaster valentini)
11. Veiltail Molly (Poecilia velifera)
12. V-Tailed Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus)
13. Von Rio Tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus)
14. Vermiculated Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus)
Tropical Fish Starting With V
- Vagrant Moray (Gymnothorax buroensis)
Marine Fish Starting With V
- Venezuelan Grouper (Mycteroperca cidi)
2. Viperfish (Chauliodus)
3, Vermiculated Angelfish (Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus)
4. Volcano Shrimp Goby (Amblyeleotris rhyax)
5. Vacuocua Croaker (Corvula macrops)
6. Vadigo (Campogramma glaycos)
7. Violet Squirrelfish (Sargocentron violaceum)
8. Vahl’s Eelpout (Lycodes gracilis)
9. Vaillant’s Smooth-head (Lepidocephalichthys pinguis)
10. Violet Demoiselle (Neopomacentrus violascens)
11. Venus Tuskfish (Choerodon venustus)
12. Valdivia Black Dragon Fish (Melanostomias vierecki)
Sharks Starting With V
1. Velvet Belly Lantern Shark (Etmopterus spinax)
2. Variegated Shark (Labeo variegatus)
Additional Fish And Sea Creatures Starting With V
1. Violet Sea Apple (Pseudocolochirus violaceus)
2. Varicose Phyllidia (Phyllidia varicosa)
3. Violet-Lined Parrotfish (Scarus globiceps)
4. Venus Shrimp (Ancylomenes venustus)
5. Variable Chelidonura (Chelidonura varians)
6. Vagabond Sponge (Spheciospongia vagabunda)
7. Variable Thorny Oyster (Spondylus varius)
8. Velvety Sea Star (Petricia vernicina)
9. Vachelli’s Glass Perchlet (Ambassis vachellii)
10. Variable Fangblenny (Petroscirtes variabilis)
11. Variable-Lined Fusilier (Caesio varilineata)
12. Variable Stomatella (Stomatella varia)
13. Vermiculate Rabbitfish (Siganus vermiculatus)
14. Vatani Rohtee (Rohtee ogilbii)
15. Very Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
16. Varium Sea Urchin (Asthenosoma varium)
17. Variable Jawfish (Opistognathus variabilis)
18. Vomer Conch (Euprotomus vomer)
19. Voigtmann’s Lobster (Enoplometopus voigtmanni)
20. Violet Soldierfish (Myripristis violacea)
21. Vanikoro Sweeper (Pempheris vanicolensis)
22. Virgin Salp (Thetys vaginais)
23. Violet Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to see that the 75+ popular fish starting with V can be found all over the world swimming through various types of water. They are all so different in terms of size, diet, habitat, and unfortunately, some of them are even endangered or at risk.
The more we all learn about the different fish, the more we can learn about how to be responsible to keep the world safe for them.
Ian Sterling, founder of Fishlab.com, began his aquarium journey over 30 years ago, driven by a deep fascination for fish and their diverse personalities. His website, Fishlab.com, is dedicated to making fishkeeping accessible and enjoyable, offering beginner-friendly guidance, expert insights, and a community for aquarists to connect and share experiences.