The Most Expensive Aquarium Fish in the World

There are some expensive aquarium fish species. They justify their cost for many reasons. Like, some species are rare and have a high demand. Some others beat others in beauty, and others are difficult to catch. Here are 10 of the most expensive fish in the aquarium, with basic profile information and interesting facts.

What Is The Most Expensive Aquarium Fish?

The Asian Arowana is the most expensive fish. It’s also known as Dragon Fish. This goldmine lives in the freshwater waters of Southeast Asia, i.e., Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It requires a large aquarium as it can grow up to 3 feet.

Variants

There are various variants of this beauty fish available. It includes:

Green Arowana	Super Red Arowana	Red Tail Arowana
Golden Arowana	Cross Back Golden Arowana

Why it’s so expensive?

Here are some reasons for their high price.

Rare

Their habitat is getting depleted, which is making them rare, resulting in high prices.

Coloration and Shape

Their interesting color and snout on a shape make them attractive. This attractiveness also gives rise to demand. These factors also fuel the cost of this rare creature.

Muths

Many myths are associated with arowana, i.e., good luck, deterring evil, bringing health, and inducing happiness among family people. These beliefs also give rise to its demand.

Top 10 Most Expensive Aquarium Fish in the World

Some aquarium fish are expensive to keep in the aquarium. It might be due to their rarity, habitat at challenging depths, or they are available in only specific regions. Here are the 10 most expensive fish in the aquarium.

Platinum Arowana

It’s the most expensive aquarium fish with a long, beautiful dragon-like body and a colorful appearance. These are Southeast Asian breeds that usually make the slow rivers, flooded forests, and swamps their house. They are also present in South American countries. They live in small groups, and males have territorial behavior. Platinum arowana are nocturnal.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Osteoglossum bicirrhosum
Common Name	Dragon Fish
Lifespan	Average in Wild: 20 to 40 years Average captivity: up to 20
Conservation Status	Endangered
Coloration	Almost White and metallic platinum
Size	4 feet
Average cost	$400,000
Interesting Facts	They are pre-historic fish. Myths of good luck and others are associated with them.

Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray

They have a disc-like oval dotted body. The bottom is grey without dots. Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray is present in the Xingu River basin in Brazil. They are curious and love to move around. When they feel a threat, they move away from that spot. Polka Dot Stingray are aquarium invertebrates and eat snails and crabs. With nocturnal behavior, they hunt at night and bed during daytime.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Potamotrygon leopoldi
Common Name	Xingu River ray White-blotched river stingray Polka-dot stingray
Lifespan	Average in Wild: unknown Average captivity: between 5 to 10 years
Conservation Status	Data deficient for proper estimation
Coloration	Black and brown covered with white spots
Size	18 inches diameter
Average cost	$100,000
Interesting Facts	Polka Dot Stingray has a venomous spine that can cause higher pain. They hunt for food at night and rest during the daytime by burying themselves under mud.

Peppermint Angelfish

These are one of the beautiful species with deep oval striped bodies. They are present in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. If accurately said, in Rarotonga Island in the Cook Islands. Peppermint Angelfish moves around the coral reefs at 55 to 120 meters in the sea. They are difficult to handle due to their territorial behavior. These diurnals usually eat sponges, detritus, tunicates, worms, and crustaceans.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Centropyge boylei
Common Name	Centropyge boylei Peppermint angelfish
Lifespan	Average captivity: 10–15 years
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Coloration	Striking red with vertical white strips
Size	2.8 in
Average cost	$30,000
Interesting Facts	It’s known as the Holy Grail of marine angle fish. Only excellent divers can catch them as they live at higher ocean depths.

Masked Angelfish

They have a cylinder and disc-like body. Masked Angelfish are only present at 200 meters depth near the Hawaiian islands. At such depth, they move around the coral reefs and possess semi-aggressive behavior. This behavior elevates during the breeding period. They love to eat zooplankton and are usually active during day hours.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Genicanthus personatus
Common Name	Genicanthus personatus Masked angelfish
Lifespan	Average captivity: 10–12 years
Conservation Status	Not endangered
Coloration	White with black coloration
Size	8.3 in
Average cost	$16,000
Interesting facts	In 1975 scientists listed the fish. It’s very rare to see them around the main islands. They live at a higher depth of 200 feet.

Bladefin Basslet

This one of the most expensive aquarium fish has a torpedo-like compressed body. They are present in the West Atlantic Ocean, i.e., the Caribbean and South Carolina regions. Usually, with a peaceful temperament, they roam around the deep reefs at about 100-395 meters. Sometimes, they also become violent. Bladefin Basslet loves to eat live food, i.e., brine and Mysis shrimp.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Jeboehlkia glacier
Common Name	Bladefin Basslet Long spine Sea Bass
Lifespan	Average captivity: 2 – 4 years
Conservation Status	Least concern
Coloration	White, pink, or red with the head and back of the neck is red
Size	3 inches
Average cost	$10,000
Interesting Facts	It’s the only member of its genus, i.e., Jeboehlkia. They live at 490 feet depth.

Golden Basslet

With a golden tail, this one of the most expensive fish in the aquarium has a distinctive regal grammid shape. This rare Golden Basslet lives around the tropical reefs of the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic oceans. They exhibit peaceful behavior. However, during the breeding period, they become aggressive and territorial. Their diet option has various foods, i.e.,  frozen food to pellets.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Gramma dejongi
Common Name	Golden fairy basslet
Lifespan	Up to 15 years
Conservation Status	Least concern
Coloration	Vivid golden yellow
Size	3 Inches
Average cost	$8,000
Interesting Facts	The submarine is used instead of deep-sea divers to catch this species as they live at an unusual depth of 320 feet. It’s one of the challenging species.

Neptune Grouper

Their entire body is covered with wart-like bumps. Neptune Grouper lives around the corals of the Indo-Pacific Oceans at 80 meters depth. There is a distinct color differentiation between male and female species. These nocturnal fish are carnivorous and love to eat crustaceans, mollusks, and many other fish.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Cephalopholis igarashiensis
Common Name	Garish hind Neptune grouper Goldbar grouper Japanese cod
Lifespan	30-50 years
Conservation Status	Least concern
Coloration	Reddish-orange
Size	Usually 10 in
Average cost	$6,000
Interesting Facts	Researchers have found their presence at 820 feet depth of the ocean. They have an unusual shape to encounter higher pressure.

Australian Flathead Perch

These Australian specials have wide mouths, bulging eyes, and compressed heads and bodies. They live in shady caves and crevices on corals of the West Pacific Ocean to the Eastern Indian Ocean. Australian Flathead Perch are food-motivated and love to eat live and frozen food in aquariums. They are usually active during day hours.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Rainfordia opercularis
Common Name	Flathead perch Rainford’s perch
Lifespan	15-20 years
Conservation Status	Least concern
Coloration	Dark orange with strips
Size	Between 5–7 inches
Average cost	Between $1,000 – $5,000
Interesting Facts	It’s the rarest basalt and one of the rarest among all rare species. They hide under mud, only exposing their eyes and upper head. They use their unusual binocular to attack other species.

Wrought Iron Butterflyfish

This black social beauty has a box-like body and lives in the central and southern regions of Japan. They usually swim in cool water around rocky corals at 3 to 40 meters depth, and eat Zooplankton and algae. Due to diurnal behavior, Wrought Iron Butterflyfish bury themselves when under stress or at night.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Chaetodon daedalma
Common Name	Barberfish
Lifespan	Up to 10 years
Conservation Status	Least concern
Coloration	Black coloration
Size	Up to 6 in
Average cost	$2,700
Interesting Facts	It is a rarely seen species, usually unlike the other fish species. They are distinguished from their family due to their appearance. They move in a group of 10. Sometimes, they create a huge fuss, i.e., gang fish.

Clarion Angelfish

This striking color fish has a rectangular body shape. Clarion Angelfish species is only present in the east Pacific Ocean, i.e., Revillagigedo Islands and Baja California. They float around the coral reefs and eat both plant and animal-based food. However, in the wild, these diurnal fish love to eat invertebrates.
Feature	Value
Scientific name	Holacanthus clarionensis
Common Name	Clarion angelfish
Lifespan	10-12 years
Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Coloration	Brownish orange with dark brown head
Size	Up to 7.9 in
Average cost	Between $2500 to $3000
Interesting Facts	Adults show schooling behavior as they move in a group of 30. They stick to their original habitat, i.e., non-migrant behavior. They can recognize the people who feed them.

Most Expensive Aquarium Fish To Breed?

Peppermint Angelfish is the most expensive fish to breed in the tank. Here are some reasons.

Rarity

They are rare in nature. Therefore, obtaining this rare beauty for breeding is also quite challenging.

Habitat

It’s hard to create and maintain the exact habitat in aquariums as they live under higher water depths. They require a deep, dark, and highly pressurized environment.

Docile Nature

They have a docile nature and feel stress in any inconvenient situation.

Breeding Tips

Here are some breeding tips to have a successful Peppermint Angelfish breeding.

Take at least a 100-gallon tank

Set the proper water parameters

• Replicate their original habitat by adding plenty of rocks, caves, and hiding spots. It stimulates their breeding process.
• Feed them on various foods, i.e., live, frozen, and flakes, i.e., marine algae, shrimps, and angelfish flakes.
• Obtaining a juvenile and raising them for breeding in a tank is better. At adult age, they will form perfect pairs. These pairs are the most optimal ones for breeding.
• Gradually increase the temperature, i.e., perfect for breeding.

 

Parameter	Value
Temperature	76-80°F
pH	8.1-8.4
Salinity	1.023-1.025 SG
Ammonia and Nitrites	0 ppm
Nitrates	<10 ppm
Lighting	Low light at 12 hours day-night cycle

• Replicate the dawn and dusk state to stimulate breeding, i.e., set the sunrise and sunset lighting.
• Once they lay and fertilize the eggs, observe them. Replace the eggs in a separate tank.
• Raise the fry in a separate tank with perfect water and other parameters.
• Feed them according to their need.

End of the line

The Asian Arowna is the most expensive aquarium fish. It’s so because of their rarity, beauty, and high demand due to some myths. It’s not a single fish. Many other fish also share this list of the most expensive fish in the aquarium, e.g., Nepture Grouper, Australian Flathead Perch, Clarion Angelfish, etc. The Peppermint Angelfish is the most expensive fish to breed in an aquarium due to its higher difficulty, rarity, and docile nature.

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