We all love our pets, and we definitely like to spend a lot of money on our animal friends to ensure their happiness. People can drop a considerable amount of money on their pets and pet accessories, and that includes fish. While you can go to your local pet store and buy a goldfish for relatively cheap, not all fish are created equal. Rare, tropical fish could be considered a “luxury” pet when you take into account the costs. Certain fish are extremely rare and valuable, and they need very specific aquariums to thrive. A high-end fish tank that holds hundreds of gallons of salt water is an expensive purchase, and keeping it stocked with fish is even more expensive. A luxury fish tank filled with colorful fish makes for a great centerpiece in any home, so just how expensive can certain fish actually get? The high-end fish market is an extremely lucrative and competitive industry, as high-paying buyers are willing to pay a lot of money to stock their personal aquariums with these beautiful animals. Given the vast diversity of fish, certain kinds are extremely rare and are prized fish. We are going to take a quick look at some of the most expensive fish in the world, and you won’t believe just how much people actually spend to keep them as pets.
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5. The Neptune Grouper – $6,000
The Neptune Grouper is an extremely rare fish that has only been caught a few times. It’s almost never for sale, but when it is, they go for upwards of $6,000 dollars on the pet market. There are a few reasons as to why this is. First of all, the fish is very rare and hard to find. Additionally it’s a deep-dwelling fish. Divers have to go far underwater to find and catch them, and then bringing them up to the surface is quite the ordeal. Since they live so deep underwater, divers have to slowly bring the fish up to the surface to allow it to decompress and get used to the different pressure levels. And like all fish on our list, the tanks used to keep these animals are also very costly.
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4. The Bladefin Basslet – $10,000
Basslet fish are small fish that live in the tropical waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean, primarily in the Carribbean. They come in all different colors, but the Bladefin is one of the most expensive ones. Not only is this fish extremely rare in nature, like the Neptune Grouper, it’s very difficult to catch, if you can even find one that is. Divers need small submarines to get down to the depths at where these fish live, and have to go to great lengths to bring the animal back to the surface. A few of these fish have been sold at markets for around the price of $10,000 dollars.
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3. The Peppermint Angelfish – $30,000
Angelfish are some of the most prized exotic fish that are sought out by collectors, and the Peppermint Angelfish is one of the most expensive one’s. The fish is fairly small and they only grow up to about 2.7-inches in size. But don’t let it’s size fool you. The Peppermint Angelfish is only found in deep waters off the cost of the Cook Islands out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s a very shy and secretive fish, which makes it extremely hard to find. Back in 2012, only one was on the market for sale, and buyers offered upwards of $30,000 dollars to acquire it.
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2. The Xingu Polka Dot Stingray – $100,000
Stingrays are majestic creatures that are related to sharks, and primarily live in the oceans of the world. However there are a few specific breads that actually live in freshwater, the Xingu Polka Dot being one of them. They are an extremely rare bread of rays that are only found within the Xingu River Basin of Brazil. However since they are so rare, it is now illegal to export the fish due to environmental protection. But back when they could be traded, buyers were willing to pay upwards of $100,000 dollars for one.
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1. The Platinum Arowana – $400,000
Arowanas are small bony fish that are found in the waters of South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They come in a wide range of different types and colors, but the Platinum Arowana is the rarest and most expensive one. They are so rare, that people actually implant microchips within them to identify and authenticate them. The reason being is because of their color. Arowanas are typically red, green, black, or yellow. But every now and then, you see platinum ones. They get this color due to a random genetic mutation, kind of like white tigers. Additionally they are very seclusive fish in general, making them even harder to find. Once placed in captivity, they require at least a 150 to 300 gallon tank to thrive, and those tanks aren’t cheap. The Platinum Arowana is extremely rare and is almost never available for purchase. But when it is, buyers have been willing to pay upwards of $400,000 dollars per fish.
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