Common Veilfin

Metavelifer multiradiatus

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth39–160 m
Water temperature17–28 °C
Best monthsMarch, May, and November
How commonRare

About this species

Metavelifer is a genus of fishes in the family Veliferidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Metavelifer multiradiatus, commonly known as the spinyfin velifer. It grows to a length of 28 centimetres (11 in) TL and is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Metavelifer”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 4 records
February: 13 records
March: 18 records
April: 17 records
May: 19 records
June: 18 records
July: 10 records
August: 8 records
September: 4 records
October: 8 records
November: 22 records
December: 9 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 39–160 m · Deepest record: 450 m

20–30 m: 3 records
30–40 m: 12 records
40–50 m: 6 records
50–60 m: 8 records
60–70 m: 6 records
70–80 m: 10 records
80–90 m: 4 records
90–100 m: 2 records
100–110 m: 9 records
110–120 m: 3 records
120–130 m: 8 records
130+ m: 24 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 17–28 °C

16–18 °C: 2 records
18–20 °C: 24 records
20–22 °C: 50 records
22–24 °C: 38 records
24–26 °C: 21 records
26–28 °C: 13 records

Names and classification

English: Common Veilfin, Spinyfin velifer, Veil-fin, Veilfin

Names in 2 more languages

Japanese: Himekusaaji, ヒメクサアジ
Simplified Chinese: 棘鰭後旗月魚

Other scientific names: Velifer multiradiatus, Velifer multispinosus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
186 open-data records from 1911 to 2011.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

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