Common Veilfin

Interesting Info

• The Common Veilfin or Spinyfin Velifer as they are also known as, are commonly found along the southern coast of Australia, particularly in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia. They are often encountered in rocky reef environments.
• They are a small fish with a distinctive appearance, having spiny dorsal fins, which give them their common name. They have a silvery to light grey body with a noticeable lateral line running along their sides.
• Common Veilfin are omnivorous and feed on a variety of small prey, including zooplankton, small crustaceans, and algae.
• They are known to be somewhat territorial, often defending their chosen crevices or small territories on the reef.
• Predators of the Common Veilfin includes larger fish such as snapper and gropers, as well as various seabirds.
• These fish do have sharp spines on their dorsal fins as a defence mechanism to deter potential predators.
• These fish are known to breed during the warmer months, usually in the spring and summer. They engage in external fertilisation, where females release eggs and males release sperm into the water, allowing fertilisation to occur outside their bodies.
• Their estimated average lifespan is between 3 – 4 years.