In aquarium hobby there you can find thousands of stunning ornamental fish in the world. Some of the fish are rare & uncommon among them. They are really expensive.
These fish are gaining popularity day by day in this hobby. So in this article, we are going to know the Top 9 most expensive fish for aquariums with a price range.
They are really expensive not just because of lack of availability. Some of those fish are very hard to keep also. So it is recommended to learn fishkeeping with us before purchasing any one of this list.
Without wasting time let’s dive deep into the topic.
| Disclaimer – All of these price lists of ornamental are the approximate idea. These may vary from location to location, breeders, sources, availability & export. |
Top 9 most expensive fish for aquariums in the world
There are various types of expensive fish that you can find on the web. However, from this article, you can find such fish which are really popular, colorful & eye-catching. So check all of them without skipping any fish in this list.
1. Arowana
Silver Arowana or Asian Arowana is one of the most expensive fish in the world. This is a very popular fish among fishkeepers. It is called ‘Dragon Fish’ too.
The price range of the Silver Arowana in US fish stores is $50-$400. However, the price can go up to $1000 too depending upon the quality of the fish. Once it was purchased for $300,000 which is huge literally.
The price range of Silver Arowana varies on its size & age. Here we are providing a general chart from which you can get an idea of the price range for Silver Arowana of different sizes.
| Arowana Species | Size of the Species | Price |
| Silver Arowana | 2-3″ | $29.99-$49.99 |
| Silver Arowana | 4-5″ | $59.99-$79.99 |
| Silver Arowana | 6-7″ | $89.99-$119.99 |
| Silver Arowana | 8-10″ | $129.99-$149.99 |
| Jardini Arowana | 2-3″ | $59.99-$79.99 |
| Jardini Arowana | 4-5″ | $89.99-$99.99 |
| Jardini Arowana | 6-8″ | $119.99-$149.99 |
| Black/blue Arowana | 2-3.5″ | $149.99-$199.99 |
| Black/blue Arowana | 5-6″ | $225-$269.99 |
The price of Silver Arowana is huge because of its extremely hard care level. However, this is not the only cause. The main cause of its high price is that Arowana fish is banned from international trade.
It is very rare & gradually depleting from the world. According to CNBC, in 1975, a total of 183 countries signed & agreed that the Arowana is a rare species.
Despite having this legal notice more than 200,000 Arowana was traded across the globe which is three-time greater than in 2006.
Read More:- 9 Best Aquarium Fish To Breed For Profit
2. Flowerhorn
Flowerhorn is another fish that is quite expensive in the current ornamental fish market. Actually, flowerhorn is a hybrid cichlid and that’s why it is sold at a high price.
Not only that, but it has created its own demand through its unique looks. Fishkeepers recognize this fish mainly by the hump on its head & its unique red & white color.
Small unsorted flowerhorn can be sold for $15-$30. However, quality & adult flowerhorn can be sold for up to $300 depending on various locations.
According to the source, In 2009, one flowerhorn was sold for $600,000 in Malaysia which is insane.
Now, we are providing the price list of flowerhorn cichlids at various locations in the world. It will give you an idea about its average costs.
Flowerhorn price in America
| Flowerhorn Species | Price |
| Kamalau Flowerhorn fish | $100-$150 |
| Red and Super Red Dragon | $100-$200 |
| kamfa | $100-$150 |
Flowerhorn price in Canada
| Flowerhorn Species | Price |
| Male Flowerhorn | $20 |
| Green Dragon Flowerhorn | $50 |
| Thai Silk Flowerhorn | $30 |
| Red Dragon Flowerhorn | $300 |
Flowerhorn price in Australia
| Flowerhorn Species | Price |
| Flowerhorn male 30cm | $150 |
| Thai Silk Flowerhorn | $110 |
| Gold pearl Flowerhorn | $100 |
Flowerhorn price in India
| Flowerhorn Species | Price |
| Flowerhorn fish 2.5 | INR 250-2000 |
| SRD head popped Flowerhorn 8-inch body | INR 300-5000 |
| Active Flowerhorn fish | INR 250 |
| Thai silk Flowerhorn baby 3 inch | INR 500 |
| Imported fish Flowerhorn Kamfamalu AAA grade | INR 4600 |
| Flowerhorn Fish Golden Breed Female | INR 1500 |
Read More:- Top 7 Friendliest Fish Breeds For Your Aquarium
3. Discus Fish
Discus fish is one of the popular freshwater fish in the fishkeeping hobby. It is popular because of its appearance & hard care level.
Discus fish is one of the most sophisticated fish in the world. It requires extremely well quality water. Otherwise, it may show dark coloration instead of its own original bright & vibrant colors.
Read More:- Is Discus Turning Black? Don’t Make These Horrible Mistakes
Discus fish needs companions. So you must keep at least 5 discus in a freshwater tank. So you must calculate the costs of 5 discus before making a purchase.
A standard young discus fish can be found for only $20. However, this price can vary up to $400 depending upon appearance, quality, size & availability.
Now, we’re going to provide the chart list of some popular discus fish strains with their sizes.
| Strain Name | 2.0 – 2.5 inches | 3.0 – 4.0 inches | 4.5+ inches |
| Blue Diamonds Discus | $55.00 | $55.00 | $100.00 |
| Turquoise Checkerboard Discus | $80.00 | $90.00 | |
| Pigeon Blood Discus | $100.00 | ||
| Tangerine Discus | $90.00 | $110.00 | |
| Silverado Checkerboard Pigeon Discus | $90.00 | $110.00 | |
| Malboro Red Discus | $90.00 | ||
| Golden Sunsets Discus | $110.00 |
These are the prices of single discus fish. However, if you want a mated pair of discus fish then you have to pay a hefty price. The prices of some mated strains are
1 Pair Silverado Checkerboard Pigeon– $600.00 approximately
1 Pair Tangerines – $500.00 approximately
1 Pair Reddish/Brown – $450.00 approximately
Read More:- 11 Most Popular Discus Fish: Make Your Aquarium Colorful
4. Peppermint Angelfish
Peppermint angelfish is an expensive saltwater aquarium fish. One of the main reasons for its huge costs is the lack of availability in the world.
However, the whole scenario is kinda different. Peppermint angelfish are found 400 feet down from the surface of the sea. So it is very difficult to collect them from there.
During this time, divers need to be careful about decompression sickness. Due to this sickness, people may get pain in the muscles, numbness, nausea, etc. In extreme cases, they may become paralyzed too.
The acclimation of the fish is too difficult in captivity. The peppermint angelfish needs lots of time to be habituated. Even the acclimation process may take months. It needs proper hiding places, caves, built with lots of live stones, to make them feel safe.
The price range of peppermint angelfish varies from $17,600 to $30,000 depending upon its originality, quality, size & coloration.
Read More:- 11 Most Beautiful Saltwater Angelfish For A Marine Tank
5. Blue-eyed Pleco
Blue-eyed pleco wasn’t the expensive aquarium fish in the late 1990s. During that time, they were much more available. At that time the price of those fish was $10-15.
However, recently, this fish is trading at a high price. This happens due to lack of availability mainly.
Blue-eyed pleco is found in Venezuela & Colombia mainly. Due to the high prices of this fish some export programs have happened in the last decade.
However, this program didn’t succeed because of a lack of sources. This fish is mainly found in shallow streams in the forests. However, according to the source, due to rapid civilization, the growth of this species has mostly disappeared.
Unlike other pleco species, the blue-eyed Pleco is one of the most expensive fish. The price range of Blue-eyed Pleco varies from $250 to $500 depending upon year, availability & sources.
Read More:- 10 Types of Pleco Fish: With Pictures & Recommendation
6. Masked Angelfish
Masked angelfish is another marine fish that is sold at an extremely high price in the market. The main reason for its high price is lack of availability.
This rare fish is found in the deep sea in Hawaii. Divers find this fish 300 feet deep in the sea.
Masked angelfish born as all females. But the most aggressive one becomes male gradually. Due to this quality, they are called Hermaphrodites. This unique quality makes masked angelfish famous among aquarists.
Very few quantities of masked angelfish were collected throughout the past decade. However, in recent years none of them were collected due to COVID-19. So the price has risen up drastically.
This fish prefers cold water and its care level is extremely hard. It is another reason why masked angelfish is so pricey.
The price range of Masked Angelfish varies from $16,000 to $20,000 depending upon year, availability & coloration.
7. Zebra Pleco
Zebra pleco is very popular because of its appearance among all aquarists. However, it is so expensive to purchase. So, it is not suitable for everyone to be kept in captivity.
Zebra pleco mainly comes from Brazil. The shortage of this fish has occurred due to the laws of conservation of ornamental fish.
In 2004, a list was published by the Brazilian government about some fish that are excluded from export all over the world. Zebra pleco was one of them on that list.
On other hand, IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources) has tightened the legal export to save some extinct species. This is one of the main causes of a shortage of supply of zebra pleco.
The price range of zebra pleco is
- 1”-1.5″ zebra pleco $150-$220
- 3”-3.5″ zebra pleco (male only) $300-$400
The price range of Zebra Pleco varies from $300 to $300 depending upon its size, availability, gender & quality. Local breeders can sell zebra pleco for $150-250 too.
8. Polka dot Stingray
Polka Dot stingray is one of the most beautiful & expensive fish on this list. They are pricey mainly because of their appearance.
Polka Dot stingray is called a mini stingray. Original stingray is harmful in captivity. So aquarists keep Polka Dot stingray to meet one kind of satisfaction.
The appearance of this fish is so cool. Black solid color with white dots on its body makes them super exciting aquarium fish. Their body is completely flat and they grow almost 18 inches wide in diameter.
These fish can’t live longer just because they can’t prey well. This is another reason why this fish trades at a high price. In captivity, an aquarist must feed them quality food very often.
The price range of Polka Dot Stingray varies from $1,000 to $100,000 depending upon its grade, availability, quality, location & type.
9. Bladefin Basslet
Bladefin basslet is another marine reef fish that is pricey enough. The length of this fish is 1.5 inches long. Bladefin basslet is one of the pricey fish per inch in this hobby.
Bladefin basslet can be found 500 feet deep in the sea. It is unlikely that this type of small fish can live at this depth of the sea. It makes them rare to find & that’s why bladefin basslet become quite expensive.
The price range of Bladefin Basslet varies from $2,000 to $8,000 depending upon its availability & quality.
Read More:- 11 Most Popular Freshwater Aquarium Fish With A Recommendation
Final Thoughts
This article has discussed the top 9 most expensive fish for aquariums with a price range. This is purely for knowledge purposes.
There are lots of other expensive fish available in the world also. However, this list has been created by the popularity of the fish breed too.
Beginner fish keepers should not purchase any one of these fish. It is because they are extremely hard to take care of. Fishkeepers must have previous fishkeeping experience to keep these sophisticated fish.
Best of luck & happy fish keeping.