Aquariums and fish tanks are always a sight to see and soothing to the eyes. Many people admire looking at fish as it is very relaxing to the eyes, mind, and soul. Prices of fish vary, with some being affordable, whereas others, like most expensive exotic fish, might be too heavy on the common man’s pocket. The prices depend on the type of the fish and the method used to collect them.
Many people tend to maintain fish tanks at home, mostly as a hobby. It is a good way for parents to teach their children about different kinds of fish so that they will learn about the types of fish available and their behaviour. Aquariums are proven to have medical benefits for adults as it is known to reduce blood pressure and stress.
As stated above, the prices of different kinds of fish vary, and the most expensive fish might not be affordable to most people. Here are the top 10 most expensive exotic fishes in the world that most of us will not be able to own in our lifetimes. However, it is always fun to know how much some people are willing to pay for them.
10. Candy Basslet – $1000
This is a very colourful type of exotic fish which is mostly found in the Caribbean and the Coast of Curacao. This a very rare fish which is quite difficult to capture. However, once acquired, it is easy to maintain at home.
Due to this, it is predicted that the price of this type of fish may go down, allowing even an average home aquarist to own it. The price of this fish is $1,000, which is a very high amount to pay for a single fish.
9. Clarion Angelfish – $2500
This is a very colourful and beautiful type of fish found to live on the Pacific coast of Mexico. It can also be found around the Clipperton Island. This type of fish is very rare in the market as it requires a special permit from the Mexican Government in order to capture them.
People mostly admire this fish due to its vibrant colours mixed with different hues. The price of this fish is almost 2,500 dollar bills.
8. Wrought Iron Butterfly Fish – $2700
This fish is found in the waters of Japan. It is approximately 6 inches in size. This is a very expensive type of fish belonging to the butterfly family. This fish has a name because of its appearance and colour, which consists of white dots and a yellow border.
Seeing these fish in aquariums is a sight as they are very good swimmers moving fast from one side of the tank to the other. This fish costs approximately $2,700.
7. Australian Flathead Perch – $5000
This rare type of fish is found exclusively in Australia. It is called super rare trawl because of the difficulty in finding it. It is extremely difficult to capture it as it only comes out of the rocks, searching for food and moving back to shelter in the rocks immediately.
The first of these fish was caught in the United States in the year 2011 and was sold for $5,000. This fish lives mainly on shrimps. The vivid colours of this fish make it a beautiful addition to any aquarium and one of the most expensive exotic fishes.
6. Neptune Grouper – $6000
This beautiful freshwater tropical fish is very rare to be found for sale, and hence it is extremely difficult to purchase the same. So on the very few occasions, the fish is available for purchase, it costs more than $6,000.
The Neptune Grouper displays vibrant shades of yellow, orange and pink and is a beautiful sight to see for any aquarium lover. It is mostly found in deep waters, although it could be caught in shallow waters on rare occasions.
5. Golden Basslet – $8000
This fish is one of the smallest of groupers and is very rare to be seen for sale. It is commonly found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The fish lives in deep waters, so capturing it is difficult. This leads to its extremely high price tag.
It is a very beautiful fish, golden in colour. Hence it is known as the golden beauty. Due to its rarity and inability to capture easily, the price of this fish may go up to $8,000.
4. Bladefin Basslet – $10000
This cute little fish is very beautiful and extremely difficult to capture. It lives in deep waters, and people find it hard to catch such a tiny creature in such deep waters. The size of this fish is almost 1.5 inches only. The fish displays various colours, such as white, orange etc.
It is considered to be a deep-water reef fish found mainly in the Caribbean. Although it is small in size due to the difficulty in finding and capturing, the price of this fish may go as high as $10,000.
3. Peppermint Angelfish – $30000
An average hunter cannot capture this exotic deep-water fish. It requires different levels of skill and determination to go deep down the sea to capture this very rare piece of jewel. In 2012, only one such type of fish was available for public viewing.
It was found in the Waikiki Aquarium. It is every collector’s dream to own this beautiful fish, but due to the difficulty in hunting it down, the cost of it can go up to almost $30,000, making it one of the most expensive exotic fish.
2. Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray – $100000
This is a very different kind of fish as it has a genetic mutation on the front of its head, leading it to look U-shaped rather than round, similar to most other fish. As of now, it is one of the most expensive fish in Taiwan, with a price tag of $100,000.
This Stingray cannot hunt shellfish for food on its own due to its off-shape head. Hence it must be fed from the hand. Considering all of the above factors, it is common to be very high in price.
1. Platinum Arowana – $400000
The Platinum Arowana, also known as White Arowana, is mainly found in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It can also come in different colours, such as silver, green, red, black and yellow. This fish is approximately 35 inches in size, and it can live more than 50 years.
It is an intelligent type of fish with the ability to recognize, and they can be trained to be fed by hand. Although an amazing type of fish, due to the above factors, there are other options for an average home aquarist to keep this fish as a pet. The price of this fish is almost $400,000.
All of the most expensive exotic fishes listed above are meant for the high-end market and not for average home aquarists. So seeing these types of fish in an average home is very rare. However, once seen, it is an amazing experience that one cannot forget in a lifetime. It is a privilege to see at least one of the above fish due to their rarity, price, and beauty. These are the top 10 most expensive exotic fish in the world, and some would be extremely rare and not even to be seen at present anywhere in the world.