The World’s Most Expensive Fish

Coral Reefs In Danger

Fish can come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and are some of the most beautiful creatures the sea has to offer; they also make for cool pets for people with allergies or those looking for a pet that doesn’t involve a huge time commitment.  Fish can be native to different bodies of water from varying depths and temperatures.  These diverse animals can also be bought and sold for different purposes and can range in price from anywhere between free fish at a carnival to rare exotic worth thousands of dollars. Most people will own at least one fish during their lifetime; however, few will pay more than a few dollars for their new found friend or food. Here is a list of the five most expensive fish.

5. Golden Basslet – $8,000

These very small fish can be found in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.  These fish tend to be very shy so while they are very expensive, if you have a golden basslet in your tank, you may not see it very often.

4. Bladefin Basslet – $10,000

This rare fish, found mostly in Caribbean waters, is named for its blade like dorsal fin.  The bladefin basslet is considered a deep water reef fish, making it hard to capture and accounting for its high price.  These fish generally reach about 1.5 inches in size and have a personality great for someone looking to including a rare catch in their fish tank.

3. Peppermint Angelfish – $30,000

This bright colored fish is very rare and in 2012 there was only one peppermint angelfish available for public viewing.  This fish, which resembles the red and white striped pattern of peppermint candy, is also a deep water fish, usually living at depths that are not typically reached by divers – making the fish  both extremely difficult to capture and extremely expensive.

2. Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray – $100,000

This rare stingray has a genetic mutation which causes the front of its head to be u-shaped; something different from the usual roundness of a stingray’s head.  Covered in polka dots this exotic fish is very beautiful to look at; however, due to the genetic mutation of its head, these fish are unable to hunt shellfish and cannot survive outside of captivity.

1. Bluefin Tuna – $1.8,000,000

Unlike the other fish on the list, this fish was sold in a market after it had been captured and killed.  This 222 kilogram bluefin tuna fish was sold last January for $1.8 million at a Japanese market-making it the world’s most expensive fish.  The highest bidder, who acknowledge that the price for this fish was “a bit high” hoped that his purchase would “encourage Japan by providing good tuna” which is a popular food item in Japan.

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Written by Camille Moore

Camille has a master's degree from Saint Joseph University's Writing Studies program, and she currently works as the Writing Center Assistant Director at a small university in western Pennsylvania. Camille's writing has been published on several websites, and she enjoys writing articles and short stories in her spare time. You can follow Camille on Twitter @CamealAshley.