What determines how much a fish will cost?

[Golden Age]

Some fish are less expensive than others and some fish are a lot more expensive than others.

What determines the cost of a fish?

Is price based on rarity?

Is price based on how difficult it is to breed?

Is price based on how difficult it is to ship?

Is price based on demand?

Maybe a combination of all of the above? All of my local fish stores seem to have the same fish and the same prices as each other but some fish are more expensive than others but each shop always has tanks stocked full of these fish. Meanwhile, something you don't see very often may be a bit cheaper.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Basically supply demand economics...like any other market. Add to that the cost of collection and transport.

 

[eatbreakfast]

When you cosider the depths some expensive fish come from and safety issues, equipment, and skills of divers involved, this contributes to expense.

The economy of the collection country affects the cost, as cheaper labor does contribute to lower prices,

Also, short supply chain, whether captive bred or wild caught, as well as overall iterest in the species drives cost.

 

[Dmorty217]

When you cosider the depths some expensive fish come from and safety issues, equipment, and skills of divers involved, this contributes to expense.

The economy of the collection country affects the cost, as cheaper labor does contribute to lower prices,

Also, short supply chain, whether captive bred or wild caught, as well as overall iterest in the species drives cost.

^This, also some of the rarer, high priced fish come from locations where there isn't a local airport and the risk involved in collecting is much greater ie; rebreather. Also for the US to get some of these fish is rare considering it's much easier to get fish to Asian markets like china, rather than shipping the fish 2-3 times to make it to the US. Also Asian markets command higher prices. Collectors in Honk Kong pay big money for rare fish

 

[snorvich]

I agree with the two posts above. In addition some fish are endemic to an area that does not allow legal collection.

 

[ca1ore]

Basically supply demand economics...like any other market.

Exactly! If a fish is very difficult or costly to collect, but there's no demand, then regardless of that inherent cost to collect it won't sell for a high price. Which means, if course, that it will stop being collected. Very little price elasticity to very rare fish, or anything for that matter, and it ends up being more about 'willingness to pay' than underlying cost.

 

[HumbleFish]

Regulation also comes into play. Fish from Australia, where collecting is heavily regulated/controlled, are always much more expensive than say fish from Indonesia.

 

[Dmorty217]

Regulation also comes into play. Fish from Australia, where collecting is heavily regulated/controlled, are always much more expensive than say fish from Indonesia.

And they are collected much more responsibly and have a much higher success rate

 

[snorvich]

And they are collected much more responsibly and have a much higher success rate

I agree. I always opt for fish from Oz given a choice of origin.

 

[kw22]

I pretty much have to give a +1 to everybody else

 

[humaguy]

lol, how many do you have, where did it come from, how was it caught, who caught it, what size it, tank bred/wild caught?