Top-tier aquatic pets by price tag

In the world of aquarium hobbyists, some fish are more coveted than others. These highly sought-after marine species are not just pets, but valuable investments that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Here's a glimpse into some of the most expensive aquarium fish in the world.

Peppermint angelfish, with their striking stripes, are among the rarest and most expensive saltwater fish. The price tag for one of these beauties can reach up to an astounding $100,000.

The title of the most expensive koi fish ever sold goes to a fish that fetched an impressive $1.8 million. The exact identity of its new owner remains undisclosed.

Golden crossback arowanas, with their stunning golden colour and association with money and prosperity, are another valuable addition to any aquarium. Their price reflects their rarity, often reaching six figures.

The Japanese dragon moray eel, with its mesmerizing orange body and white and brown spots, commands high prices due to its aggressive nature and rarity.

Polka dot stingrays, native to the Brazilian River Xingu, are another rare and expensive species. Their stunning appearance and rarity can drive their price up to $100,000.

Golden basslet, a tiny fish with a golden colour blend of yellow and tangerine, can cost up to $8,000. The Gem tang, with its attractive spotty pattern on a jet black body and yellow accents, is another expensive fish, commanding high prices due to its rarity and difficulty in collecting and transporting it from its native Mauritius.

The Clarion angelfish, a protected species in Mexico, is extremely rare and commands high prices due to its striking bright orange colour with electric blue stripes. The Super red arowana, with its fiery red colour and symbolic status in Asian culture, is another highly prized fish.

The Platinum guppy, with its unique platinum colouration, commands high prices due to the time, experience, and effort required to breed it. Flowerhorn Cichlids, hybrid fish with bulbous foreheads, can also command high prices due to selective breeding for colours and patterns.

The Wrought-iron butterflyfish, exclusive to Japanese waters, is another rare and expensive species, valued for its metallic black body with a lattice pattern and yellow trim.

The most expensive pet fish ever sold was a Platinum arowana, which fetched an astonishing $400,000. Platinum alligator gars, with their bright white colour due to a pigmentation disorder, are another rare and expensive species, valued for their rarity and slow growth rate.

Masked angelfish, a Hawaiian reef fish, can cost up to $20,000 due to their rarity and tricky collection and breeding. The Neptune grouper, a deep-sea fish found in the Indo-Pacific, can cost around $20,000 due to its rarity and the need for specialist diving techniques and decompression techniques.

The Bladefin basslet, a torpedo-shaped fish found in the western Atlantic, commands huge prices due to its striking appearance and the difficulty in collecting it. Lastly, the Emperor angelfish, with its captivating patterns that change as it grows, is highly sought-after and expensive due to the challenges in breeding it in captivity.

Despite the high prices, there are no publicly available records of specific aquarium owners in Germany purchasing fish worth over 100,000 euros in recent years. These rare and expensive fish continue to intrigue collectors and hobbyists worldwide, making them a valuable part of the aquarium world.