Fun Wormfish Facts For Kids

There are various kinds of fishes swimming in the oceans and every one of them has a history of around a million years long. Wormfish is one such fish and belongs to the genus species Microdesmidae.

This species got its name due to its very peculiar yet interesting body structure. These fishes are very small and are very little in length.

There are several environmental conditions that favor the wormfish precisely, however, these fishes grow the best when left in their natural marine environment.

These fishes are extremely delicate often do not react well to low-water quality or poor habitat conditions. These fishes can mainly be found at the reef, however, the habitat locations can differ for these fishes, depending upon the most favorable environment.

To learn more about such exciting and wonderful creatures make sure to check out our fluke fish and milkfish fact pages.

Wormfish Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a wormfish?

A wormfish is a type of fish, these species belong to the family of Gobiidae and order Gobiiformes. Wormfish are called with different names on various regions where its found. They are very famous because of their worm-like body and features.

What class of animal does a wormfish belong to?

These genus species belong to the class Actinopterygii. They are mainly considered aquarium fish and are often said to be shy and calm.

How many wormfish are there in the world?

Wormfish have a wide range of waters where they are found, while they are common to the Atlantic and are also considered native to the Western Atlantic. Its, however, is very hard to pinpoint the exact population of this marine species, but they are considered to be having a very healthy population all across the globe.

Where does a wormfish live?

It's easy to search for wormfish during the night, as they often common come to the surface according to the native fishermen. These small fishes are found in abundance in common places such as North Carolina, Mexico, and the Cayman Islands.

The environmental conditions of the Atlantic also favor these fish a lot. Their range further covers places such the eastern Atlantic. Its also believed that it's difficult to search for these fishes in brackish waters, nonetheless, they thrive more in the marine conditions.

What is a wormfish's habitat?

A wormfish habitat very much signals the behavioral traits of this fish. These genus species are very shy and often do not like to socialize much.

They sometimes can be found on the reef, but most times they are hiding in their burrows.

Burrows in shallow muddy and 121.4 ft (37 m) depth range is an ideal habitat site for these dishes.

However, while thinking about building an artificial environment for the wormfish, it should be considered that the tank must be spacious enough as their depth range in oceans is a good 98.4-121.4 ft (30-37 m), thus, enough sandy substrate for these fishes to burrow at night should also be given equal priority.

Who do wormfish live with?

Worm fish are found in the depth range of 98.4-121.4 ft (30-37 m), however, these fishes are very shy and small in size so they prefer to be hidden in their sandy burrow most times. Although, on a reef site these fishes are believed to live with numerous names.

Green sea turtle and colossal squid are a few of those names.

How long does a wormfish live?

Fish are believed to live longer in their natural environment compared to their artificial. A fish of this length is assumed to live for around two to five years. It can also be highly dependent on the diet of the fish and their body size as well.

How do they reproduce?

The lancelet wormfish are considered to be gonochoric animals. These fish reproduce through external reproduction, like most aquatic animals. This method takes place outside the body and in places like damp areas or water. This method is also called spawning.

What is their conservation status?

This species is classified as Least Concern, as it's very easy to search for these tiny little fishes. Their population is in a growing trend for the last five years.

Wormfish Fun Facts

What do wormfish look like?

It's very easy to identify a wormfish, they can go to a length of around 3.9-4.7 in (10-12 cm) and have a long orange stripe that runs from their head to tail. They come in various colors, such as orange, blue, and white.

How cute are they?

These tiny-length fish are very cute and indeed can add an extra edge to your usual aquarium.

How do they communicate?

Fishes communicate in numerous ways at their respective depth range where they reside. Some fishes use sound, color, and electrical impulses to communicate.

How big is a wormfish?

Wormfish are very tiny in length. An angelfish is almost twice larger than a wormfish in size, and around five times larger in size when compared against neon tetra.

How fast can a wormfish swim?

An adult wormfish can be of a size 3.9-4.7 in(10-12 cm).

How much does a wormfish weigh?

A healthy wormfish adult can weigh anywhere around 0.3-0.5 oz (10-15 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Both the sexes are addressed with the same name, they do not have different names for either of the sex.

What would you call a baby wormfish?

A baby wormfish is called fry, when the young fish grows and starts developing fins and scales, they are called fingerlings.

What do they eat?

This species can be fed with meaty food, such as shrimps, in their natural environment they feed on algae and various bacteria on the reef.

Are they dangerous?

It's very unlikely for a wormfish to harm a human, as they are mostly shy and live in a depth range of 98-121 ft (30-37 m).

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, these species are very good as pets and often require a very simple diet. However, it can be moderately difficult to take care of them at the start.

Did you know...

Most wormfish die in their artificial habitat due to jumping out of the aquarium.

It is important to search for tank mates which are small in length and are peaceful, otherwise, they can damage the wormfish.

Do wormfish sleep?

Yes, wormfish sleep, they often sleep at sandy burrows at night. Hence, therefore it's very important to have an adequate amount of sandy substrate for these fishes to sleep peacefully at night.

Why are they called wormfish?

The wormfish got this name due to their unique body structure and length. These species look very much alike to worms in features and length. They have a cylindrical body which also looks very similar to a worm.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our drum fish facts and catfish facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Wormfish coloring pages.