diff --git a/src/zarr/core/array_spec.py b/src/zarr/core/array_spec.py
index 89163f7d83..1f4ffd6f09 100644
--- a/src/zarr/core/array_spec.py
+++ b/src/zarr/core/array_spec.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, fields
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, Self, TypedDict, cast
 
+import numpy as np
+
 from zarr.core.common import (
     MemoryOrder,
     parse_bool,
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ def parse_array_config(data: ArrayConfigLike | None) -> ArrayConfig:
         return ArrayConfig.from_dict(data)
 
 
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
+@dataclass(frozen=True, eq=False)
 class ArraySpec:
     shape: tuple[int, ...]
     dtype: ZDType[TBaseDType, TBaseScalar]
@@ -157,6 +159,24 @@ def __init__(
         object.__setattr__(self, "config", config)
         object.__setattr__(self, "prototype", prototype)
 
+    def _key(self) -> tuple[object, ...]:
+        """Returns the tuple used for equality/hash identity."""
+        fill_value = self.fill_value
+        if isinstance(fill_value, np.generic):
+            # fill_values should be byte-identical, otherwise they correspond to different values in memory / on disk.
+            # Importantly, this ensures np.nan == np.nan, NaT == NaT, and -0.0 != 0.0.
+            # It also fixes np.void fill_values being unhashable (#3054).
+            fill_value = fill_value.tobytes()
+        return (self.shape, self.dtype, fill_value, self.config, self.prototype)
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if not isinstance(other, ArraySpec):
+            return NotImplemented
+        return self._key() == other._key()
+
+    def __hash__(self) -> int:
+        return hash(self._key())
+
     @property
     def ndim(self) -> int:
         return len(self.shape)
diff --git a/tests/test_array_spec.py b/tests/test_array_spec.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d46591fb86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_array_spec.py
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+from zarr.core.array_spec import ArrayConfig, ArraySpec
+from zarr.core.buffer import BufferPrototype, default_buffer_prototype
+from zarr.core.buffer.cpu import NDBuffer
+from zarr.core.dtype import get_data_type_from_native_dtype
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Callable
+
+    from zarr.core.common import MemoryOrder
+
+
+def _make_spec(
+    *,
+    shape: tuple[int, ...] = (4, 4),
+    native_dtype: Any = "int16",
+    fill_value: Any = 0,
+    order: MemoryOrder = "C",
+    write_empty_chunks: bool = False,
+    prototype: BufferPrototype | None = None,
+) -> ArraySpec:
+    """Creates an ArraySpec with common defaults"""
+    zdtype = get_data_type_from_native_dtype(np.dtype(native_dtype))
+    fill_value = zdtype.cast_scalar(fill_value)  # mirrors ArrayV3Metadata's fill_value
+    return ArraySpec(
+        shape=shape,
+        dtype=zdtype,
+        fill_value=fill_value,
+        config=ArrayConfig(order=order, write_empty_chunks=write_empty_chunks),
+        prototype=prototype if prototype is not None else default_buffer_prototype(),
+    )
+
+
+class _AltNDBuffer(NDBuffer):
+    """A distinct NDBuffer subclass"""
+
+
+_ALT_PROTOTYPE = BufferPrototype(
+    buffer=default_buffer_prototype().buffer,
+    nd_buffer=_AltNDBuffer,
+)  # a distinct BufferPrototype with a different nd_buffer subclass
+
+
+# Difficult / important cases:
+# issue #3054: np.void is unhashable when writeable
+# nan/NaT aren't self-equal yet must compare equal for a ArraySpec
+SPECS = [
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "int16", "fill_value": 7}, id="int16"),
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "float64", "fill_value": 1.5}, id="float64"),
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "float64", "fill_value": float("nan")}, id="float64-nan"),
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "float64", "fill_value": -0.0}, id="float64-negzero"),
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "complex128", "fill_value": 1 + 2j}, id="complex128"),
+    pytest.param(
+        {"native_dtype": "complex128", "fill_value": complex(-0.0, -0.0)},
+        id="complex128-negzero",
+    ),
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "bool", "fill_value": True}, id="bool"),
+    pytest.param(
+        {"native_dtype": "datetime64[s]", "fill_value": np.datetime64("2020-01-01")},
+        id="datetime64",
+    ),
+    pytest.param(
+        {"native_dtype": "datetime64[s]", "fill_value": np.datetime64("NaT", "s")},
+        id="datetime64-NaT",
+    ),
+    pytest.param(
+        {"native_dtype": [("a", "f8"), ("b", "i8")], "fill_value": (1.0, 2)},
+        id="structured-void",
+    ),
+    pytest.param({"native_dtype": "U5", "fill_value": "hello"}, id="fixed-string"),
+    pytest.param({"shape": ()}, id="scalar-shape"),
+    pytest.param({"shape": (0,)}, id="zero-size"),
+    pytest.param({"order": "F"}, id="order-F"),
+]
+
+
+# Mutations: each mutate kwargs to an uneqal version
+def _grow_shape(kw: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return {"shape": (*kw.get("shape", (4, 4)), 1)}
+
+
+def _flip_order(kw: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return {"order": "F" if kw.get("order", "C") == "C" else "C"}
+
+
+def _swap_prototype(_kw: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return {"prototype": _ALT_PROTOTYPE}
+
+
+MUTATIONS = [
+    pytest.param(_grow_shape, id="shape"),
+    pytest.param(_flip_order, id="order"),
+    pytest.param(_swap_prototype, id="prototype"),
+]
+
+
+class TestArraySpecHashEq:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("kwargs", SPECS)
+    def test_hashable(self, kwargs: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Every ArraySpec is hashable, including structured (np.void) fill values."""
+        assert isinstance(hash(_make_spec(**kwargs)), int)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("kwargs", SPECS)
+    def test_equal_specs_hash_equal(self, kwargs: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Independently built specs with identical fields are equal and hash equal."""
+        a = _make_spec(**kwargs)
+        b = _make_spec(**kwargs)
+        assert a == b
+        assert hash(a) == hash(b)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("kwargs", SPECS)
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("mutate", MUTATIONS)
+    def test_distinct_specs_unequal(
+        self,
+        mutate: Callable[[dict[str, Any]], dict[str, Any]],
+        kwargs: dict[str, Any],
+    ) -> None:
+        """Changing one dtype-independent field makes a spec unequal to its base."""
+        base = _make_spec(**kwargs)
+        variant = _make_spec(**{**kwargs, **mutate(kwargs)})
+        assert base != variant
+        assert hash(base) != hash(variant)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("base", "variant"),
+        [
+            pytest.param({"fill_value": 0}, {"fill_value": 1}, id="fill_value"),
+            pytest.param({"native_dtype": "int16"}, {"native_dtype": "int32"}, id="dtype"),
+            pytest.param(
+                {"native_dtype": "float32", "fill_value": 1.0},
+                {"native_dtype": "float64", "fill_value": 1.0},
+                id="dtype-float-promote",
+            ),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_dtype_and_fill_value_matter(
+        self, base: dict[str, Any], variant: dict[str, Any]
+    ) -> None:
+        """dtype and fill_value participate in equality; they can't join the cross
+        product because fill_value is coupled to dtype."""
+        assert _make_spec(**base) != _make_spec(**variant)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("native_dtype", "neg_fill", "pos_fill"),
+        [
+            pytest.param("float16", -0.0, 0.0, id="float16"),
+            pytest.param("float32", -0.0, 0.0, id="float32"),
+            pytest.param("float64", -0.0, 0.0, id="float64"),
+            pytest.param("complex128", complex(-0.0, -0.0), 0j, id="complex128-both"),
+            pytest.param("complex128", complex(0.0, -0.0), 0j, id="complex128-imag"),
+            pytest.param("complex128", complex(-0.0, 0.0), 0j, id="complex128-real"),
+            pytest.param([("a", "f8")], (-0.0,), (0.0,), id="structured"),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_signed_zero_fills_are_distinct(
+        self, native_dtype: Any, neg_fill: Any, pos_fill: Any
+    ) -> None:
+        """A -0.0 fill writes different bytes than +0.0, so the specs are not equal."""
+        neg = _make_spec(native_dtype=native_dtype, fill_value=neg_fill)
+        pos = _make_spec(native_dtype=native_dtype, fill_value=pos_fill)
+        assert neg != pos
+        assert hash(neg) != hash(pos)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("obj"),
+        [
+            pytest.param(None, id="None"),
+            pytest.param(42, id="int"),
+            pytest.param("hello", id="str"),
+            pytest.param([1, 2, 3], id="list"),
+            pytest.param({"a": 1}, id="dict"),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_unequal_with_invalid_type(self, obj: Any) -> None:
+        assert (_make_spec() == obj) is False
+        assert _make_spec() != obj