Does the name ‘Arowana’ ring any bells? It is the real name of The Dragon Fish and it is the World’s Most Expensive Aquarium fish. This freshwater fish resembles a dragon in motion and it is a native of South East Asia.
It has created quite a rage in the Asian and in American markets (although it is illegal to bring it to the USA). While not all breeds of this fish are so expensive, the albino breed’s market price is 70,000 USD (Rs.49,91,717).
People believe that Arowana fish brings good-luck and prosperity. Media reports mentioned that owners keep these fish in high-security. Author Emily Voigt’s ‘The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession and the World’s Most Coveted Fish’ mentions there have been attempts to abduct these fish and steal them in few occasions. Emily assumes that Arowana’s status as an endangered species makes it even more expensive.
The Business Insider reported that this fish was not popular in the 1960s until an aquarium trader who was traveling via North Malaysia found it dead in a food-market. He was attracted by it and soon this species reached Taiwan in 1980s and then it spread across Asia. Close to the 2000s, the Arowana was the coveted fish in the world.
The different color patterns earns the fish a higher price tag; for instance Chilli Red Arowana sells for 1,400$, the Emerald violet fusion super red goes for 12,000 $ each. In 2009, an Albino Arowana was sold for 300,000 $ which is a record.