The Siamese fighting fish ( Betta splendens ), also known as the betta (particularly in the US) and simply as the fighter , is a popular species of freshwater aquarium fish. The name of the genus is derived from ikan bettah, taken from a local dialect of Thailand. Betta is pronounced /ˈbɛtə/ . The wild ancestors of this fish are native to the rice paddies of Thailand and Cambodia and are called pla-kad or trey krem ("Fighting Fish") in Thai.
Description
B. splendens usually grow to an overall length of about 6.0 centimetres (2.4 in), though some varieties reach 8.0 centimetres (3.1 in) in length. In recent years breeders have been able to create "giant bettas" that exceed 8.0 centimetres (3.1 in) due to the manipulation of a mutant gene. Although known for their brilliant colors and large, flowing fins, the natural coloration of B. splendens is a dull green and brown, and the fins of wild specimens are relatively short. However, brilliantly colored and longer finned varieties (i.e. Veiltail; Delta; Superdelta; and Halfmoon) have been developed through selective breeding.
The fish is a member of the gourami family (family Osphronemidae) of order Perciformes, but was formerly classified among the Anabantidae. Although there are nearly 50 other members of the betta genus, B. splendens is the most popular species among aquarium hobbyists, particularly in the United States.
Diet
Siamese fighting fish have upturned mouths and are primarily carnivorous surface feeders. In the wild, they feed on zooplankton and the larvae of mosquitoes and other insects, such as flies, crickets, or grasshoppers. Fish which feed on wider ranges of foods live longer, have richer colors, and heal fin damage more quickly. Typically, commercial betta pellets are a combination of mashed shrimp meal, fish meal, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and vitamins. These fish will also eat live or frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp or daphnia.
Reproduction and nests
The Siamese fighting fish mate in a fashion that is called "nuptial embrace", in which the male and female spiral around each other, around 10-41 eggs are released and fertilized at each embrace, until the female is exhausted of eggs. Once the female has released all of her eggs, she is chased away from the male's territory, as it is likely that she'll eat the eggs due to hunger. The male carefully keeps every egg in his bubble nest, making sure none fall to the bottom, and repairing the bubble nest as needed. Incubation last 24–36 hours, and the eggs hatch in 3–4 days. This species lives approximately 2–5 years in captivity, generally between 2-3, rarely 4–5 years.
Males build bubble nests of various sizes and thicknesses at the surface of the water. During and after spawning, the male uses his mouth to retrieve sinking eggs and deposit them in the bubble nest. After approximately two days the eggs hatch, and after three more they become free-swimming fry; The male will maintain the fry near the bubble nest in order to keep them alive while their gills develop. Once the fry are older, aggression develops and the fry will leave the bubble nest to find new territories.
B. splendens can be hybridized with B. imbellis , Betta sp. Mahachai and B. smaragdina , though with the latter the fry tend to have low survival rates.
Colors
B. splendens have been affectionately nicknamed "The Jewel of the Orient" due to their beauty and wide range of colors which are produced through selective breeding.
Wild fish only exhibit strong colors when agitated. However, breeders have been able to make this coloration permanent, and a wide variety of hues breed true. A wide variety of colors are available to the aquarist such as red, blue, turquoise, orange, yellow, green, or translucent. Most are slightly iridescent, and can appear to change color with different lighting conditions or viewing angles. Breeders have also developed different color patterns such as marble and butterfly, as well as metallic shades like copper, gold, and opaque.
Breeders around the world continue to develop new varieties. Often, the male of the species are sold preferentially in stores because of their beauty, compared to the females. Recently, breeders have developed in females the same range of colors previously only bred in males. However, females never develop fins as showy as males of the same type and are almost always more subdued in colouration.
The true albino betta has been feverishly sought after since one recorded appearance in 1927, and another in 1953. Neither of these were able to establish a line of true albinos. In 1994, a hobbyist named Tanaka claims to have successfully bred albino bettas.
Tail shapes
Breeders have developed several different tail shapes:
- Veiltail (non-symmetrical tail, only two rays)
- Crowntail (highly frilled or jagged rays, extended spiny rays, also called fringetail)
- Combtail (less extended version of the crown tail, derived from breeding crown and veil tails)
- Half-moon (large tail fin that forms a 180-degree or larger circle segment)
- Short-finned fighting style (sometimes called "plakat")
- Double-tail (the tail fin is split into two lobes and the dorsal fin is significantly elongated)
- Delta tail (tail span is less than half-moon with sharp edges)
- Fantail (a rounded delta tail)
- Halfsun (Combtail with anal fin going 180 degrees, like a halfmoon)
- Rosetail (halfmoon with so much finnage that it overlaps and looks like a rose, usually with many other defects and isn't bred)
Behavior
Males and females flare or "puff out" their gill covers (opercula) in order to appear more impressive, either to intimidate other rivals or as an act of courtship. Both sexes will display horizontal bars (unless they are too light a colour for this to show) if stressed or frightened. Females often flare their gills at other females, especially when setting up a pecking order. Flirting fish behave similarly, with vertical instead of horizontal stripes indicating a willingness and readiness to breed (females only). Bettas sometimes require a place to hide, even in the absence of threats. They may set up a territory centered on a plant or rocky alcove, sometimes becoming highly possessive of it and aggressive toward trespassing rivals.
On average, males are more aggressive. The aggression of this fish has been studied by ethologists and comparative psychologists. Siamese fighting fish will even respond aggressively to their own reflections in a mirror; use of a mirror avoids the risk of physical damage inherent in actual conflict, although it can lead to stress in some individuals. Like other fish, the fighter may respond to the presence of humans and become trained to respond to feeding cues (such as a hand placed over the water's surface). They are quite curious and will watch humans going about their business nearby. When plant leaves reach the surface, they are useful for males to base their bubble nests on.
Like many tropical fish, bettas might harass and kill small, slow fancy goldfish; in return, goldfish have been known to bite other fish's fins. Goldfish also are best suited to a cooler-water tank rather than the tropical temperatures more suited to B. splendens .
It's commonly thought that these fish are best housed in extremely small vessels; this is a misconception derived from the limited display space available in pet shops and the fact that males cannot be housed together. In fact, bettas need as much living volume as other tropical fish of comparable size, meaning that a tank of 1.5-2 gallons(7-9 litres) in capacity is the practical lower limit for an individual fish. Table-top tanks should be kept in warm locations, with an optimal water temperature of 77 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit(25°C-28°C), and thus are unsuitable for places that are air-conditioned to cooler temperatures. If a larger tank is used and the filtration is strong enough to cause a current, it is important to make sure there is plenty of tank space without a strong current, as this can damage the betta's fins and make it difficult for it to reach the surface.
In popular culture
- The Siamese fighting fish has been used as the defaul
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Beta Fish Care
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How to Take Care of a Beta Fish | eHow.com
How to Take Care of a Beta Fish. Betta fish are a fun, easy to take care of pet that the whole family can enjoy. This How To article explains how to set up a betta fish tank and ...
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on 7/30/2009 One question if you buy a filter for your fish tank, how often would you need to clean out the tank?
How to take care of a Beta fish...
My mother bought me a beta fish (a Japanese fighting fish) and I have no idea how to take care of it. I got a book on how to take care of it, but you
How do you properly take care of beta fish? - Yahoo! Answers
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Is it hard to take care of a beta fish? - Yahoo! Answers
Beta's are extremely easy to care for. The have lungs so they come up to the top of the bowl for air, eliminating the need for a bubbler. Just make sure they have clean water every ...