Nothing completes a luxury interior like an aquarium filled with beautiful exotic fish – it’s our way of bringing some of the most remarkable manifestations of the natural world into our urban interiors. You’ll find them in the homes of the rich and famous, the secret lairs of Hollywood villains and in the swankiest restaurants (where in some cases, the fish are on the menu). But how much would it set you back to emulate the high-fliers and fill your own aquarium with the most expensive pet fish in the world?

10. The Candy Basslet – $1k

These Caribbean beauties are amongst the most brightly coloured fish in the seven seas – guaranteed to add a splash of vibrancy to any aquarium. At $1000 each, Candy Basslets are genuinely within reach for most devoted fish-lovers.

9. The Clarion Angelfish – $2.5k

Clarion Angelfish are amongst the rarest, most iconic and priciest fish to be found off the Pacific coast of the Americas. Native to the waters off Mexico, this species carries such a hefty price tag as a special license is required in order to collect them.

8. The Wrought Iron Butterflyfish – $2.7k

The wrought iron butterflyfish’s expansive flanks put on a fantastic white-flecked lightshow that can add drama to any aquarium. They’re also notably speedy swimmers!

7. The Australian Flathead Perch – $5k

$5,000 seems an extraordinary price-tag for such a tiny fish, but the Australian Flathead Perch is vanishingly rare, and pretty too.

6. The Neptune Grouper – $6k

You’ve never seen a grouper as glamorous as this! With dazzling, fluorescent stripes shaded in orange, yellow or pink, these rare creatures are a magnificent sight.

5. The Golden Basslet – $8k

The unmistakable, fabulously elegant appearance of the golden basslet makes it a prized catch for diehard rare fish collectors the world over.

4. The Bladefin Basslet – $10k

It’s all in the dorsal fin. Basslets are big business in the tropical fish collecting world, and this species stands out in spectacular fashion.

3. The Peppermint Angelfish – $30k

Years can go by without a single peppermint angelfish going on the market, which goes some way towards explaining their extraordinary value.

2. The Freshwater Polka Dot Sting Ray – $100k

This stunning ray is an op-art fantasy in black-and-white. A genetic mutation is the cause of its unique shape.

1. The Platinum Arowana – $400k

Another mutated breed tops our list. Thanks to its dazzling colouring and graceful form, the platinum arowana is a marvellous statement of class and status.

Thinking of buying some pet fish for your aquarium? Check out this great guidebook – the fish featured cater for a wide range of budgets.