10 Most Expensive Fish In The World.
Number 10.
The Clarion Angelfish is named for one of the most beautiful islands off the Pacific
coast of Mexico, part of the Revillagigedo Islands.
It can be found there and often around the more remote island of Clipperton.
Priced at $2,500, these fish are brilliantly colored and highly sought after.
They have been kept in captivity for about 40 years, but they are rarely found on the
market.
This is due in part to the fact that you must have a special permit from the Mexican Government
to collect them.
Number 9.
Found off the waters of Japan this little beauty reaches an average size of approximately
6 inches.
It is one of the hardiest of the Butterflyfish family, but also one of the least owned due
to its price tag.
The average home aquarist doesn't usually spend over $2,000 for one fish.
There are very few of them found in North American collections as the majority of them
are bought by Asian collectors.
Priced at $2,700, they are very active swimmers, which make them fun to watch in an aquarium
as they zip from one side to the other.
They are named after their coloring, a dusky greyish black with bright yellow accents.
Number 8.
This super rare fish goes for as high as $5,000 when available.
Found in the waters of Australia, it's very difficult to catch darting out of the shelter
of rocks only for food and quickly darting back.
They prefer live food like ghost shrimp and plenty of rocks to hide under, but if given
proper conditions, it will display itself adequately for onlookers.
Its vivid stripes and colors make it a gorgeous addition to any aquarium.
Number 7.
This stunning fish is almost never available for purchase, so when it is, collectors clamor
for it paying upwards of $6,000.
It's a deep water fish, presenting many challenges in collecting it, including the need for the
divers to rise slowly to allow decompression not only for themselves but for the specimens
they collected.
Very few are found in shallow enough waters that allow them to be caught.
Juvenile groupers coloration tends to differ drastically from that of full grown adults.
The juvenile Neptune Grouper displays brilliant shades of yellow and orange, while the adult
displays a brilliant pink coloration with bright yellow bands.
Number 6.
One of the smallest members of the grouper family, these fish are found in both the Pacific
and Atlantic.
Although hardy, and able to adapt to captivity, it's rare to see this fish for sale.
They have to be collected using a deep-sea submersible craft, which accounts for the
exorbitant price tag of $8,000.
This little fish is very shy in captivity as well as in the wild so even though you
may shell out some hefty clams for this golden beauty, you may not see it all that often
in your tank.
Number 5.
This cute little guy goes for as much as $10,000.
Its name comes from the funny blade-like dorsal fin.
Found mostly in the Caribbean with coloring ranges from vivid orange to white.
Quirky with a good deal of personality, this fish is definitely on collector's lists due
to its rarity.
It only reaches a size of approximately 1.5 inches and is considered a deep water reef
fish, which accounts for the difficulty in collecting specimens.
Imagine finding something so tiny, so deep down and then having to catch it?
It's no surprise that seeing these fish for sale is a rare occurrence.
Number 4.
Collectors have offered as much as $30,000 for this very exotic fish.
In 2012, there was only one available for public viewing.
It was found at the Waikiki Aquarium having been captured by a Smithsonian Institute research
expedition.
It's a deep water fish, which accounts for the rareness of encountering these beautiful
fish.
The average diver does not go to those depths.
The fish is striking with stripes of red and white hence its name.
Since 2012 they have been in high demand by private collectors wishing to add something
rare and exotic to their aquariums.
Number 3.
This particular fish has a unique genetic mutation on the front of its head causing
it to look u-shaped instead of round, which is normal for rays.
Currently it's one of the most expensive aquarium fish in Taiwan with a price tag of $100,000.
Interestingly enough this particular stingray would never be able to survive in the wild
as it can't hunt the shellfish it eats with its misshapen head.
In captivity, it must be fed from hand to survive.
Number 2.
Platinum arowana has a value of approximately $400,000.
It is so valuable that a micro ID chip is implanted into it before it reaches sexual
maturity to help identify and authenticate it.
The color is the result of a very rare genetic mutation.
In captivity they require at least a 300 gallon tank with plenty of live food such as crickets
and worms.
They can reach a size of about 35 inches and they can live for more than 50 years.
They are intelligent with the ability to recognize individuals and they can be trained to be
hand-fed.
Number 1.
A piece of art, some of these fish can be worth Millions.
A 76-cm (30-in) long ginrin showa koi, which won supreme championship in nationwide Japanese
koi shows in 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1980, was sold two years later for 17 million yen (then
$80,000).
In today's currency, that value is around $2.2 million.
In March 1986 this ornamental carp was acquired by Derry Evans (UK), owner of the Kent Koi
Centre near Sevenoaks, Kent, UK for an undisclosed sum, but the 15-year-old fish died five months later.
It has since been stuffed and mounted to preserve its beauty.