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 fishes might be too heavy on 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 behavior. Aquariums are proven to have medical benefits for adults as it is known to reduce blood pressure and stress.

Most Expensive Exotic Fishes

As stated above prices of different kinds of fish vary and most expensive fish might not be affordable to most of the people. Here are the top 10 most expensive exotic fishes in the world which 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

candy-basslet - exotic fish

This is a very colorful 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

Clarion Angelfish - exotic fish

This is a very colorful 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 colors mixed with different hues. The price of this fish is almost 2,500 dollar bills.

8.  Wrought Iron Butterfly Fish – $2700

wrought-iron-butterfly-fish - exotic fish

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. The reason this fish has got such a name is because of its appearance and color which consists of white dots and a yellow border.

It is a sight to see these fish in aquariums 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

Australian Flathead Perch - most expensive fish

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 moves back to shelter in the rocks immediately.

The first of this 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 colors of this fish make it a beautiful addition to any aquarium and one among the most expensive exotic fishes.

6.  Neptune Grouper – $6000

neptune-grouper -most expensive fish

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 on rare occasions it could be caught shallow waters.

5.  Golden Basslet – $8000

 Golden Basslet -most expensive fish

This fish is one of the smallest of groupers and is very rarely to be seen for sale. It is commonly found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The fish lives in deep waters hence it is difficult to capture it. This leads to its extremely high price tag.

It is a very beautiful fish golden in color, 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

bladefin-basslet - most expensive fish

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 colors 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 up as $10,000.

3.  Peppermint Angelfish – $30000

peppermint-angelfish - -most expensive fish

This deep water exotic fish cannot be captured by an average hunter. It requires different levels of skills and determination to go deep down the sea to capture this very rare piece of jewel. In 2012, there was only one such type of fish available for public viewing.

It was found in the Waikiki Aquarium. It is ever collectors 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 fishes.

2.  Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray – $100000

freshwater-polka-dot-stingray - Most Expensive Exotic Fish

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 shaped similar to most of the 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-shaped head. Hence it must be fed from the hand. Considering all of the above factors it is not surprising to be very high in price.

1.  Platinum Arowana – $400000

Most Expensive Exotic Fishes - platinum-arowana

The Platinum Arowana also known as White Arowana is mainly found in South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It can also come in different colors 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 it is not an option 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 it is very rare to see these types of fish in an average home. However once seen it is an amazing experience that one cannot forget in his lifetime. It is a privilege to see at least one of the above fish due to the rarity, price, and beauty of the same. 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.

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