Fish That Start With V (Explore Varieties)

There’s thousands of fish breeds out there. But how many start with the letter V? Believe it or not, there’s actually lots of fish that start with the letter “V.” From scientific names to nicknames, there’s really no shortage of them. 

To help you find your new favorite, here’s 13 of the coolest fish species starting with the 22nd letter of the alphabet.

Table of Fish That Start With V Overview:

Fish Species	Size (Inches)	Care Requirements	Fun Fact
Vampire Tetra	Up to 12	Spacious tank, meaty diet	Fangs used for impaling prey
Veiltail Goldfish	6-8	Large tank, varied diet	Elegant, flowing tail
Volitan Lionfish	Up to 15	Carnivorous diet, spacious tank, venomous spines	Stunning red, white, and black bands
Violet Goby	Up to 24	Brackish water, hiding spots, scavenger	Often mistaken for a dragon-like appearance
Vlamingii Tang	Up to 24	Omnivorous diet, large tank, monitor aggression	Prominent horn-like structure on the head
Venustus Cichlid	Up to 10	Omnivorous diet, rocks, caves, sandy substrate	‘Sleeper’ hunting technique, ambushes prey
Vermiculated Angelfish	Up to 9	Omnivorous diet, medium to large tank, hiding spots	Distinctive worm-like patterns on the body
Violet Blenny	Up to 5	Omnivorous, rocky setups, active	Bright blue and violet hues
Variegated Platy	Up to 3	Omnivorous diet, peaceful temperament, prefers plants	Gives birth to live young
Velvet Fish	6	Carnivorous, requires hiding spots like caves	Velvety appearance due to skin flaps
Viridescent Parrotfish	Up to 20	Herbivorous diet, spacious tank, monitor aggression	Creates sandy beaches, distinctive horn-like structure

1. Vampire Tetra (Hydrolycus scomberoides)

• Size: Up to 12 inches
• Care: Requires a spacious tank due to its size, prefers a meaty diet of fish and shrimp.
• Fun Fact: Despite its fearsome name and appearance, the Vampire Tetra is not a threat to humans. (*)

Ready for Halloween? This fish certainly is.

The vampire tetra, sometimes called the Payara, hails from South America. It’s most fascinating feature is its long, intimidating fangs, that can reach upwards of 6 inches!

Don’t worry, though. They’re not after your blood. The fangs are meant to help them impale their prey – which, thankfully, is smaller fish.

When raising these fish, you need to replicate their natural predatory feeding habits by giving them fish and shrimp. They also need lots of space and are quite difficult to care for, so they’re best left to experienced aquarium hobbyists. 

For those willing to take on the challenge, the vampire tetra is a glorious fish to behold.

2. Veiltail Goldfish

• Size: 6-8 inches
• Care: Needs a large tank, fine-gravel substrate, and a varied diet of pellets, veggies, and occasional live food.
• Fun Fact: The Veiltail is one of the most elegant goldfish breeds with its long, flowing tail.

Veiltail goldfish are some of the most beautiful, majestic fish in the world. These gorgeous fish have long, flowing tails that look like shimmering veils drifting through the water. 

Because they were produced thanks to intricate selective breeding, this species only produces the best of the best.

Like other goldfish, veiltails have very specific care requirements and aren’t for the faint of heart. You’ll want to give them a balanced diet of pellets, vegetables, and live food to keep them happy and healthy.

Also, because of their graceful yet delicate tail, make sure your tank doesn’t have any sharp objects they could snag on. Avoid rocks and sharp plants and substrate and aim for softer decorations instead.

3. Volitan Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

• Size: Up to 15 inches
• Care: Carnivorous diet, spacious tank, and be wary of its venomous spines during maintenance.
• Fun Fact: This fish’s venom is used as a defense mechanism against predators.

The volitan lionfish is a glorious sight to behold. This species has gorgeous red, white, and black bands across their bodies, along with fan-like pectoral fins for added flair. 

Originally from the Indo-Pacific region, this unique fish is actually mostly known for its hidden venomous spines. With just a prick, their venom packs a painful sting. 

Though this species isn’t aggressive, you should definitely be careful when cleaning their tank. Because of their size and the potential to get pricked with venom, this species is best left to the experts.

4. Violet Goby (Gobioides broussonnetii)

• Size: Up to 24 inches
• Care: Prefers brackish water with lots of hiding spots; primarily a scavenger, it will eat anything from algae to small crustaceans.
• Fun Fact: Often mistakenly called the “Dragon Goby” because of its prehistoric, dragon-like appearance.

Love dragons? You’ll love the violet goby too!

This lovely goby is often mistaken for an eel thanks to its elongated body. But alas, they’re just fish.

This interesting brackish water species is actually quite peaceful, contrary to their intimidating appearance. If you decide to raise them, you’ll want to give them lots of hiding places and sandy substrate to burrow into. 

Because they’re scavengers, they’ll search through the substrate for any algae and small organisms. They’ll love any small crustacean you can give them.

With their shimmering violet and blue hues, the dragon-like violet goby makes a lovely addition to any appropriate home tank.

5. Vlamingii Tang (Naso vlamingii)

• Size: Up to 24 inches
• Care: Omnivorous diet, large tank, and it’s crucial to monitor for aggression in smaller tanks.
• Fun Fact: They have a distinctive horn-like structure on their heads which becomes more prominent with age.

If you love big fish and you cannot lie, check out the vlamingii tang. 

This fish, sometimes called the bignose unicornfish, is known for its horn-like structure on its head. Beyond their horn, they have striking blue-grey bodies with blue horizontal lines that pop in any aquarium.

Though they are originally from the Indian and Pacific Oceans, they are extremely hardy and known for their adaptability. 

Their diet mainly consists of seaweed and algae, but they do sometimes enjoy meaty foods like small crustaceans. 

6. Venustus Cichlid (Nimbochromis venustus)

• Size: Up to 10 inches
• Care: Omnivorous diet, rocks, and caves for hiding, and soft sandy substrate.
• Fun Fact: Known for their “sleeper” hunting technique, playing dead to lure prey.

The venustus cichlid comes all the way from the eastern African Lake Malawi, and is considered a favorite among cichlid enthusiasts. 

This cichlid is known for its blue head and yellow patterned body, in addition to its unique hunting technique. Rather than chasing its prey, this cichlid lays on its side and plays dead, waiting to ambush its unsuspecting prey.

If you decide to raise a venustus cichlid, prepare to feed it a combination of pellets, live food, and vegetables to keep them happy and healthy. However, you should be cautious about tank mates – they can be pretty territorial, so give them plenty of space to relax (especially during breeding season!).

7. Vermiculated Angelfish (Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus)

• Size: Up to 9 inches
• Care: Omnivorous diet, medium to large tank with plenty of hiding spots.
• Fun Fact: Their name ‘vermiculated’ refers to their worm-like patterns on the body.

The vermiculated angelfish looks a bit wormy, for lack of a better description.

Their bodies are covered with intricate, worm-like patterns that give it its name. Originating in the Western Pacific, this blue and yellow angelfish has extremely specific care requirements. 

For their diet, they need a variety of marine algae, angelfish food, frozen shrimp, and other meaty foods. They also tend to be semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.

8. Violet Blenny (Ecsenius axelrodi)

• Size: Up to 5 inches
• Care: Omnivorous, prefers rocky setups to hide and perch.
• Fun Fact: Despite being called ‘blenny’, it’s quite active and visible in the tank.

The violet blenny is a pretty popular pick for many marine hobbyists. With captivating blue and violet hues, they grab the eye of anyone walking by their tank.

Originally from the Indo-Pacific, this bright fish loves to live in spaces with lots of rocks that they can eat algae off of. They’re also pretty active, so expect them to zoom around the tank during their active hours.

For their diet, feed them a balance of seaweed and algae along with meats like small crustaceans to keep them bright and healthy. 

9. Variegated Platy (Xiphophorus variatus)

• Size: Up to 3 inches
• Care: Omnivorous diet, peaceful temperament, prefers planted tanks.
• Fun Fact: Platies give birth to live young instead of laying eggs!

Did you know that some fish can give live birth? That includes the variegated platy!

This brightly-colored species comes in vivid colors from reds to yellows, along with dark spots for added detail. They’re really great at livening up any dull aquarium.

Coming from the streams of Central America, variegated platys are extremely hardy and adapt to a variety of conditions, so they’re a great choice for beginners. 

Because of their peaceful temperament, they make great additions to community tanks. Be sure to feed them high-quality fish flakes along with live or frozen foods to keep them healthy.

11. Velvet Fish (Aploactisoma milesii)

• Size: 6 inches
• Care: Carnivorous, requires hiding spots like caves.
• Fun Fact: Its velvety appearance is due to the tiny skin flaps covering its body.

Another fish on this list with a unique appearance, the velvet fish is known for showing off a flocked, velvet-like texture.

Though this fish doesn’t actually feel like velvet, the flaps along its body certainly make it look like it does. 

Found mostly in rocky and seaweed-filled environments, this pretty fish needs a tank with plenty of hiding spots. They also love to eat a variety of meaty foods from small crustaceans to invertebrates. 

12. Viridescent Parrotfish (Calotomus viridescens)

• Size: Up to 20 inches
• Care: Herbivorous diet, spacious tank necessary, can be aggressive.
• Fun Fact: Parrotfish play a crucial role in maintaining coral reef health by consuming algae.

The viridescent parrotfish is nature’s own artist, and it plays a pivotal role in maintaining coral reef health. 

Found in the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, this fish consumes algae that, if left unchecked, would otherwise smother coral reefs. 

Also fascinating is their ability to excrete the consumed coral rock as sand, essentially creating the beautiful sandy beaches of the tropics. 

If you plan to raise one of these large fish, they need lots and lots of space thanks to their active nature. They also need marine-based seaweeds and algae to eat regularly, though they do enjoy meaty treats. 

Wrapping it Up

From the elegant veil of the veiltail goldfish to the intriguing patterns of the vermiculated angelfish, the world of “V” fish has both charm and challenge. 

If you decide to add any of these fish to your aquarium, remember that they each have specific needs to uphold. 

Let us know if you have any experience with these Fish That Start With V in the comments below!

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