Yesterday, some of you, reading our post on NYC aquariums, were probably wondering how come a simple fish can be as expensive as a luxury car. Here is the answer !

The fish that was getting all the attention at Aquarama 2007, and is considered by some to be the most expensive aquarium fish in the world, is a 15″ platinum arowana .This particular aquatic vertebrate is owned by Aro Dynasty, a Dragon fish breeder based out of Singapore.

Its white coloration is an exceedingly rare mutation of the rather common arowana. Arowanas are not usually so pricey, but this platinum-colored mutation is unique in its own way. This fish is of the species Osteoglossum that are mostly found in South America.

The fish measures around 40cm/15″ in length, and looks stunning. It is, however, not entirely perfect because It does have one minor flaw. The fish’s right eye is starting to look downwards. This is a common problem with arowanas and in fact many keepers are paying for cosmetic surgery for their prized arowanas.

It was recently offered for sale to prospective buyers by a UK arowana importer for more than £200,000 ($300,000). However, Aro Dynasty told Practical Fishkeeping Online that the fish is now “off the market.” It confirmed that it turned down S$80,000 for the fish a few years ago.