most expensive aquarium fish

• Arowana

An ancient, graceful and very beautiful arowana fish is also known as the dragon fish. In nature, it lives in the fresh waters of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia.

Over the years, breeders have bred arowanas of the most diverse colors, among them gold, purple, red. The scales of the dragon fish are large and shiny. These fish require an aquarium with a volume of at least a thousand liters. The aquarium must be equipped with an opaque lid, because in nature these fish hunt insects and small birds and jump out of the water to a height of more than a meter for prey.

Arowanas with good care live up to 20 years. In captivity, they grow in length from half a meter to a meter. Arowanas have a calm nature. They are very smart, get used to the owner and take food from his hands.

Arowana is recognized as one of the most expensive aquarium fish. Arowana, the winner of the exhibition, can cost up to five thousand dollars. Such valuable individuals are implanted with a microchip with information about the breeder and origin.

Silver arowana is most often found in aquariums; it can be purchased for 50-200 thousand rubles. Red dragon fish can cost from 150 to 400 thousand rubles, valuable individuals of a rare color can cost an aquarist up to 80 thousand dollars.

The rarest platinum arowana of perfectly uniform color is in a private collection. Experts estimate her at 400 thousand dollars, but the owner declared his arowana priceless and said that he would not part with his pet for any money.

• Iron Butterflyfish or Hammered Butterfly

The iron butterflyfish has several names, some aquarists prefer the name black silk butterfly. This fish has an unusual color: a dark body with a metallic sheen and bright yellow anal, caudal and dorsal fins. This relatively small aquarium fish grows up to 13-15 centimeters in length.

In nature, iron butterfly fish live in groups in the coastal zones of Japan. They require keeping in cold-water aquariums with a volume of 800 liters or more. One black silk butterfly will cost the aquarist three to four thousand dollars.

• Angelfish Clarion, Angela Clarion or Loud Angelfish

The angelfish clarion is found in reefs off the coast of California and Mexico. To catch this fish, you will need permission from the Mexican government – the species is protected by the country’s authorities. The fish are caught by hand. Over the past 40 years, clarions have become increasingly common in aquarists’ collections. A rare orange color with blue iridescent stripes is especially appreciated.

Buying a small clarion in the US will cost an aquarist about five thousand dollars. It is extremely important to create the proper conditions and water parameters for an exotic pet. Otherwise, the bright blue stripes will disappear and the fish will lose its value for collectors.

• Tetradon Mbu

Tetradon mbu, or rockfish, is native to Africa. This pufferfish is able to grow up to 40-60 centimeters in length. When threatened, the tetradon mbu inflates, becomes a ball, and displays all of its needles to intimidate the enemy. In nature, tetradon mbu feeds on toxic mollusks and accumulates toxic substances in the body. When kept in an aquarium, the diet of the fish is significantly different, but the use of Tetradon Mbu for food is contraindicated by anyone. Eliminate any possible encounter between a pufferfish and a curious cat.

The fish has a strong temper, an adult can even bite a person. However, an interesting color and unusual behavior made Mbu a favorite of aquarists.

The price tag for this miracle of nature can reach 70 thousand rubles. Some sources indicate the price in dollars – from 800 to two thousand.

• Koi carps

Koi have such impressive size and spectacular colors that they often become the decoration of movies. Several centuries of selective breeding have helped the koi to develop more than two dozen colorful colors. These amazing fish attracted the attention of the whole world at a themed exhibition in Tokyo in 1914. White-red, golden-yellow, black-red-white, motley, orange-red koi have long won the hearts of aquarists. In Japan, keeping koi in ponds has become a serious fashion hobby.

To keep koi carp in an aquarium, a tank with a volume of 500 liters or more is required. A temperature of 15 to 30 degrees is suitable for them, it is important that the level of nitrogenous compounds is zero. In captivity, they usually grow to about 90 centimeters, live for 25-35 years, some centenarians can live 100 years or more. In general, the prices of koi carp are not sky-high, but in 2018, a resident of Taiwan purchased a meter-long koi carp of exquisite red and white color for a record price of $ 1,8 million.

We hope that our list of expensive aquarium fish has allowed you to once again admire the beauty and diversity of nature. It is quite possible that one of the heroes of the material will soon plow the waters of your aquarium and delight you with their unusual appearance and interesting behavior.