11 Most Expensive Tropical Fish in the World

Pet fish owners, collectors and marine life enthusiasts will want to own one of these 11 most expensive tropical fish in the world. Fish are one of the easier pets to own as they don’t cost too much time and money to take care of. They are very low maintenance and most of the time the largest cost you’d need to invest in is an aquarium. Tropical fish are quite popular and gain a lot of attention due to how unique they look. There are some fish in the world that have become expensive due to how rare they are or how hard it is to own one.

Fish like other animals have different breeds and there are so many of them that we discover new species of fish every year. They are not quite as expensive as those listed in the 11 Most Expensive Animals in the World but the ones listed here are costly especially if you want to buy them in multiples. What’s interesting to note is that some fish have specific behaviors when put together in an aquarium. Some fish linger in certain portions of the tank while others don’t necessarily get along with others and are better left isolated.

The fishes listed here are ranked according to how much you’d have to pay to own one. Some of the ones listed here might be fishes you have not heard of yet. Let’s find out more as we go through these 11 most expensive tropical fish in the world:

11. Clarion Angelfish

Named after a small island off the coast of Mexico, these fishes are highly sought after. The Clarion Angelfish cost around $2,500 and are known for their bright and colorful appearance. You’ll have a hard time trying to get one as owning one requires a special permit from the government of Mexico.

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10. Wrought Iron Butterflyfish

A fish that hails from the waters of Japan, the Wrought Iron Butterflyfish costs around $2,700. You’ll often find these fishes in the homes of Asian collectors. The name of the fish comes from its colors and it is one of the better fishes to own as they are known to be very active swimmers.

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9. Australian Flathead Perch

This is a very rare fish and also one that’s very hard to catch. You can find them in the waters of Australia though they tend to hide in or under rocks. They are known to only go out when eating and finding food. The first known perch was sold in 2011 and has caught the attention of collectors everywhere. One of these costs $5,000 on average.

8. Neptune Grouper

This rare fish is almost never caught and is very difficult to find. It dwells in deep waters and very few of them ever try to go near the surface. Divers have to be very careful when catching them as the change in water depth can affect the fish and even kill it. There are various differences in the colors of groupers, and all of them are beautiful.

7. Golden Basslet

Another member from the family of groupers that make it to this list, this fish is found even deeper underwater. It is a very shy fish and you’ll rarely see it out and about. To acquire one you’d have to pay for the costs of hiring a deep-sea submersible vehicle which is one of the reasons this fish costs around $8,000.

6. Bladefin Basslet

Another fish that rarely becomes available on the market, the Bladefin Basslet can reach prices of $10,000 easily due to how difficult it is to catch one. Their name is derived from the small blade-like fins protruding from them. It is a small fish with sizes of only 1.5 inches and it lives in deep water reefs which make them very difficult to acquire.

The highest priced fishes are still to come as we continue this list of 11 most expensive tropical fish in the world.

5. Masked Angelfish

Often found in the Hawaiian Islands, this fish is named after the distinctive mask-like band over their eyes. A fish like this is known to cost at around $20,000 in the market.

4. 

Found in South Africa, this fish has stripes resembling that of a tiger hence the name. They are super rare as most of them prefer deep and cooler waters though juveniles have been known to go to shallow waters from time to time. They cost about the same price as a Masked Angelfish.

3. Peppermint Angelfish

The Peppermint Angelfish is the one that rose above the rest in prices, the last one in the market was bought at around $30,000. This fish lives in deep waters that divers do not even go to. The few that are caught are known to be results of deep sea excursions by research teams.

2. Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray

You’d find these for sale in Taiwan for a high price of $100,000. This type of stingray exhibits a rare genetic mutation that makes its head shaped like a U instead of a round shape. Because of this the fish has to be fed by hand to survive.

1. Platinum Arowana

Arowanas are already known for their high price and the Platinum Arowana is the most expensive of them all. So expensive that a microchip is needed to authenticate one. This rare colored Arowana can reach prices of $400,000.

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This has been the list of 11 most expensive tropical fish in the world. These fishes are the ones highly sought after by collectors seeking exotic fish.