Afternic.com, a domain name exchange, yesterday announced that it managed the $1 million sale of fish.com between an undisclosed private party and dog.com, a dog supplies company and the new owner of the high-value domain name.

According to the company, the all-cash sale sets a new mark for e-commerce transactions this year. Only one other domain name sale, a transaction related to off-shore gaming, had a higher nominal price tag. That deal, however, included a cash payment of well under $1 million plus stock of still-indeterminate value. Fish.com will offer customer discounts of up to 70 % on supplies such as aquariums, food and fish tank accessories by eliminating retail middlemen. The site, which is scheduled to go live in the second quarter of 2006, will also offer multi-tiered pricing for both industry professionals and hobbyists.

"The Fish.com transaction underscores the value of owning a mission-critical domain name," said Afternic President, Roger Collins. "There is no question that premium names help businesses establish the impression of brand leadership and allow them to become more effective Internet marketers."