The Most Expensive Aquarium Fish In The World
Depending on your perspective, aquarium fish either have it really good, or really bad. On the plus side, they get free food delivered the same time daily, and live a life relatively free of challenges beyond being ogled by humans.
On the other hand, they live the aquatic equivalent of Jake Gyllenhaal's character in Bubble Boy, trapped in an accident-proofed enclosure. Sure it's risk free, but at what cost?
Generally, fish sell for pennies on the dollar, as evidenced by the accepted method of transport — plastic bag. Maybe it's because most humans think they don't feel pain, but our poor piscine friends don't often get the royal treatment.
Fish that cost more than your car
There are, of course, exceptions. If you've ever seen MTV Cribs, you know a true baller household rocks a larger than life aquarium stocked with rare invertebrates worth more than the Lambo out front. International Business Times lists some examples, like the Peppermint Angelfish, so rare that there's only one available for public viewing in the world, at the Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu. It costs a cool $30,000. But it doesn't even come close to being the most expensive.
A Freshwater Polka Dot Stingray sold for $100,000, but mostly because it had a genetically mutated head. While they can grow larger than humans, according to National Geographic, and they are technically fish, they're probably not what you think of when you hear "aquarium fish," and they're not the most expensive.
The winner boasts a name that rhymes with Snoop Dogg's favorite combustible plant — the Platinum Arowana. These fish require a tank with a minimum of 250 gallons, and have been known to sell for more than $400,000 due to their difficulty to breed in captivity. Platinum Arowanas are actually a mutation of the Silver Arowana, which Fishkeeping World says can grow up to 10 pounds, and features a near vertical jawline.
So there you have it, an aquarium fish worth more than your house. Potential owners beware: if you don't give it a large enough tank, this frowny fish will repeatedly try to jump out, probably because it knows it can do better.