Fish are basically a gift of nature that we can never be thankful enough for. The fish we buy to fulfill our cravings are usually available almost everywhere.
But there are a few fish that are either too rare or too luxurious to get into our stomach. So people mostly purchase them to showcase or keep as pets.
If you’re wondering how expensive fish can be, let me inform you about the most expensive fish that was sold in Tokyo (January 2012) for $3.1 million. It was a Bluefin Tuna. But the purchaser didn’t buy it for pet purposes. Rather it was a contribution to the food industry.
The expense of a fish depends on how rare, beautiful, and demandable it is. Some fishes are so rare that even if you’re ready to spend big fortunes on it, you won’t be able to possess it because of its difficulty to find.
There are quite a number of fishes around the world that are so costly that you might start thinking about saving money just to have a look at it. To feast your eyes I’ve listed some of them.
So let’s have a quick view of the most expensive pet fish:-
10.Clarion Angelfish
9.Wrought Iron Butterflyfish
8.Australian Flathead Perch
7.Neptune Grouper
6.Golden Basslet
5.Bladefin Basslet
4.Masked Angelfish
3.Peppermint Angelfish
2.Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray
1.Platinum Arowana
Clarion Angelfish
Price – $2,500
The Clarion Angelfish is also known as Holacanthus Clarionensis. It is a species of marine angelfish. It can be found around the pacific coast of Mexico. This aquarium fish is very bright in color. Its bright orange body is covered with blue stripes from top to bottom. The size of this fish is generally around 10 inches.
The price range of a Clarion Angelfish is usually $2500-$7000 and that depends on the availability of that fish at that time of the year.
This pricey fish lives up to 40 years.
NINE
Wrought Iron Butterflyfish
Price – $2,700
Otherwise known as Chaetodon daedalma, the Wrought Iron Butterflyfish is a species of Butterflyfish. It can be found near the western pacific ocean. This extraordinary aquarium fish is very popular for its beautiful patterns. The size of this fish is around 6 inches. It has the most metallic face any fish can have.
Some people describe it as the most personable butterflyfish because of its strict looks. These fish usually move together in a group of ten. The fish finds it quite hard to adapt to the captive aquarium life. Its life span is 7-10 years.
EIGHT
Australian Flathead Perch
Price – $5,000
The Flathead Perch is alternatively known as Rainfordia opercularis. This fish is small in size and very colorful. It is one kind of basslet, but it’s not well known. You will find the fish in Eastern Australia.
Its body contains a smooth blend of orange and blue colors. This fish can grow up to 6 inches. It’s named Flathead because it does have a flat head and a wide mouth which gives it a compressed figure. One flathead perch can live for 15-20 years.
Seven
Neptune Grouper
Price – $6,000
The Neptune Grouper, also known as Cephalopholis igarashiensis, is a deep water fish. It can be found at around 260-800 feet depth in the Indo-pacific ocean. This fish is ultra-rare and very difficult to catch.
It has got a pink/orange skin which is covered with yellow stripes. It can be about 6 inches long. This pricey, eye-catching, and exceptional fish is surprisingly seen at fish markets more than it is seen as a living creature. This gorgeous fish has a long life span, it lives more than 30 years.
SIX
Golden Basslet
Price – $8,000
The Golden Basslet alias Liopropoma aberrans is one of the smallest species of the Basslet family. It can be found in the Caribbean sea. Its entire body is beautifully colored in a golden hue and it has a rich tangerine shade in the middle. This tiny fish can grow up to 2 inches long.
Although they’re very adaptive, it’s hard to collect them as they’re very small and live deep in the sea. The smaller this fish is, the higher it costs. A Golden Basslet can live for 5-8 years.
FIVE
Bladefin Basslet
Price – $10,000
The Bladefin Basslet, aka Jeboehlkia gladifer, is a high priced and deep water fish. It is usually found in the Caribbean sea. Its blade-like dorsal fin justifies its name.
It is the smallest fish (1.5 inches) with a high value. This fish is white in color with wide red stripes on it. It lives under 500 feet deep water that is why it is hard to fetch. A Bladefin Basslet can live for 5-8 years.
FOUR
Masked Angelfish
Price – $20,000
The Masked Angelfish is scientifically known as Genicanthus personatus. It is one of the most expensive fish in the world. It lives around the Hawaii Islands, so it is very difficult to collect.
Its white body has a mask like black portion on its mouth, which is why it’s called Masked. This fish is about 8 inches long. It doesn’t have a bright color or any irresistible feature, yet it stands out because of its elegance & simplicity. A Masked Angelfish lives for almost 10-15 years.
THREE
Peppermint Angelfish
Price – $30,000
Centropyge boylei or Peppermint Angelfish is one of the top three most expensive aquarium fish in the world. Its name is taken from the peppermint sweet which comes in red & white color. The Peppermint Angelfish has the same color pattern as that sweet.
This expensive fish can be found in the eastern-central Pacific ocean. It is a little fish that can grow up to 3 inches. In the US, only one peppermint angelfish is available right now to show it to the public. Some collectors even proposed to pay $30,000 for this fish but the aquarium wasn’t convinced.
This tiny fish is kind of shy and always hiding behind pebbles or rocks. A Peppermint Angelfish can live about 10-15 years.
TWO
Freshwater Polka dot Stingray
Price – $100,000
The Freshwater Polkadot Stingray is scientifically known as Potamotrygon leopoldi. It is the second most luxurious fish in the world. A Polkadot Stingray has been sold for up to $100,000 until this date. It can be about 1 foot 6 inches in size.
This Stingray is basically a dark black oval-shaped fish with white dots printed all over its body. This fish can be found on the bottom of the Xingu River, situated in Brazil.
The main reason for its rarity and expense is that it can only be found in brazil and its exportation is illegal now. So, now the industry has started breeding them on their own. A mutated variant of this fish that had U-shaped prints, was sold at the highest price. This extraordinary fish can live for 5-10 years.
ONE
Platinum Arowana
Price – $400,000
The Platinum Arowana/Osteoglossum bicirrhosum aka Dragon fish is at present the topmost expensive aquarium or pet fish in the whole world. All Arowana fish are quite pricey but not as pricey as The Platinum Arowana.
Platinum Arowana is basically a tropical fish, so it’s mostly found around Southeast Asia. Asian people believe this fish is good for health and luck both. This monstrous fish can grow up to 4 feet 9 inches, almost as tall as a human being. It has varieties of colors, but the Silver Arowana is the most popular one. What makes it more pricey is its various colors and the difficulty of breeding it. This enormous fish can live for around 10-15 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the smartest pet fish?
Deep into the sea there wanders a lot of fish of different features. Some are big fish which are generally strong, some are little and so they get chased by the big ones, while some others are shy and dangerous. But none thought a fish could be smart as a dog or a cat before a decade. Since then the scientists have been looking at this angle of fish with a lot more curiosity.
Here are some of the smartest fish you might want to have a look at –
Flower Horn Cichlid:
The Flower Horn fish is a freshwater aquarium fish known for its vibrant color and its flower-shaped head. This fish is kind of hostile and it might let you pet it only if you’re known. A Flower Horn fish can be about 30 cm tall. Some believe this fish can bring luck. It can live up to 12 years.
Oscar Fish:
The Oscar Fish is a species of the Cichlid family. It is known by many names like – Velvet Cichlid, Tiger Oscar, Marble Cichlid, etc. This fish can be found in tropical South America. It can grow almost 36 cm. It’s more likely to adapt to a big tank. This fish does get petted but it’s very choosy in this matter. An Oscar Fish can live for 10-20 years.
Rainbow Fish:
The Rainbow Fish is a small as well as a vivid fish that is seen in northern & eastern Australia. This fish is less than 12 cm in size.
It changes its color when the owner is about to feed them or when it’s time to attract a female fish. A Rainbow Fish behaves well when it’s kept with other tropical fish, but the male fish sometimes quarrel when it’s their mating season and there aren’t many females.
When this fish is in an aquarium they usually eat floating flakes, and when it’s in its natural home it eats floating insects. A Rainbow Fish’s usual life span is 5-8 years.
Golden Loaches:
The Golden Loaches is a bright gold fish that can be found around lakes in Eorzea. Golden Loaches can get 6 inches long. It can be kept single or with other Golden Loaches. This fish is very friendly with its owner. It goes up to greet its owner whenever it’s time for food. Golden Loaches can live for 7-10 years.
Betta Fish:
The Betta Fish is also called Siamese Fighting Fish. In Thailand, people call this colorful fish “pla kat”, which means fighting fish. This fish is very expressive. Mainly the males are most likely to attack each other if placed in the same tank. Females are also territorial in this case. A Betta Fish can grow up to 7 cm. It’s mostly native to Southeast Asia. A Betta Fish can live 3-5 years while held captive.
Gold Fish:
The Gold Fish is the most common aquarium fish. It is native to East Asia. It’s a type of Carp fish. A Gold Fish is generally about 1-2 inches long and can never get larger than 6 inches. Gold fish has a great sense of sensing and hearing. They move in a group into the wild, but when kept in a tank they can stay separately.
Gold fish are usually happy captive. They don’t need much to adjust themself to the captive life. Research has shown that they can be trained to tell the difference between certain music. A Gold Fish has a long lifespan. They can live for around 41 years.
Is Red Snapper expensive?
A Red Snapper can cost $24.99, so yes it is an expensive fish. The reason behind its high expense is its high demand. It can be found anywhere in the world. It is a divisive fish and can be cooked in many ways.
This fish contains vitamin B-12, so it is healthy as well. The research says most of the Red Snappers served in restaurants aren’t Red Snappers at all. They sell other fish like Pacific Rockfish and Tilapia. So you might need to think twice before spending almost $25 over a Red Snapper which might not be a Red Snapper at all.
Can fish cry?
Fish don’t have the part of the brain called the Cerebral Cortex as humans. Cerebral Cortex deals with emotions of a mammal’s mind. Fish might have little or no emotions at all. Their brain isn’t as complicated as ours. And they definitely can not produce tears as they live underwater.
But weirdly there’s one fish that cries, and it cries like a baby. It’s named Toadfish and looks kind of like a rock.
Is it cruel to own fish?
It depends on how you’re treating the fish. If you take care of it like any other pet and be gentle and kind to it, it’s not cruel. If you feed it what it needs to eat and give it space according to its size, it’s still not cruel.
But if you place a big tropical fish in a small fish tank, it is considered cruel. Because that fish was in a better place, and it still deserves to be in a place where it is comfortable.
Do fish realize they are in a tank?
Fish don’t really understand what a tank is. They just remember what it is like, the humans and other fish. They have a simpler mind and they can remember the layout of a tank, the fish in the tank, the owner but they can’t process the idea of a tank. It needs a bigger brain to understand that concept. They know they’re surrounded by a wall and they can see through it. If you put them in a maze, they might even be able to solve it. But they don’t know the world beyond the tank or even the room beyond the tank.
Hope you find the article helpful.
About Dawson Kutch
Dawson Kutch is a born and raised Alaskan who loves the outdoors and everything it has to offer. Kutch has been an avid hunter and fisher his entire life, and takes great pride in providing for himself and his family. While he enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, Kutch also has a passion for fashion and loves to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. In his free time, Kutch enjoys spending time with his wife and one young daughter. He is always looking to learn more and better himself, both as a writer and as a person.
