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- The best places to acquire a betta
- The gear you need to create the right environment for your betta
- Feeding and healthcare tips to prolong your betta’s life
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Meet the Betta
The origins of the betta can be traced back about 175 years to Thailand, where these fish are known as plakat, or “biting fish.” Common in swamps, canals, and rice paddies, bettas have been bred for sport for centuries. At least three types of betta were bred and raised domestically: plakat morh, the fighting wild-type fish; plakat cheen, the long-finned
ornamental fish; and plakat khmer, a Cambodian variety with colored fins (usually red) and pink or white bodies.
Originally known as Siamese fighting fish, the various ornamental strains of this species are now all referred to as bettas. There are many names for the various types of fighting and ornamental Thai varieties of bettas, but English speakers generally apply the term plakat betta to all short-finned betta fish. The most commonly available betta is known scientifically as Betta splendens.
Bettas are a labyrinth fish, which means they are unable to get sufficient oxygen through their gills and have an accessory organ that enables them to breathe air. This evolutionary adaptation serves them very well in the often oxygen-poor stagnant swamps in which they naturally live, but as pets, they always must have direct access to the water’s surface. In fact, if a betta is prevented from getting to the surface, it actually can “drown” because it won’t get sufficient oxygen from the water.
Appearance
Given the different colors and fin types bettas can have, there are more than 20,000 possible variations of the fish.
Color
A betta’s scales are actually transparent; the fish’s color comes from different pigments in the skin beneath its scales. Bettas in the wild have red, blue, and green coloration; domesticated strains tend to be very different in both coloration and finnage.
Domesticated betta strains are available in all the colors of the rainbow, as well as black, white, or combinations of different colors. This variety of colors is the product of selective breeding, which causes mutations in the genes that control the pigments.
Size
Most bettas are about 2.5–3" (6.3–7.6 cm) long, with
females of the species being slightly smaller than the males. Depending on the strain, the male betta’s fins can be as long as the body.
Fin Type
In addition to the literally thousands of potential color combinations in which bettas are available, domestic bettas also have a variety of possible fin types, with new forms and
refinements appearing all the time. Bettas of any tail type can be bred in any color. Wild bettas have round tails, as do some domestic plakat betta strains, but various mutations of this type have developed into strains of their own.
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Veil tail: The first
domesticated fin type, this one already was established when bettas were first exported from Thailand. All the male betta’s fins are lengthened, with a long tail that droops behind him.
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Delta tail: Named
for the Greek letter delta, tails of this type are triangular, like that of a delta guppy.
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Double tail: This
fin mutation results in a completely double tail, with two caudal peduncles (the muscular end of the fish’s body to which the fin is attached) and two separate tail fins. There are also additional rays on the dorsal fin. The double effect is enhanced by the dorsal and anal fins, which are approximately the same size and shape. Breeding a perfect double tail poses a challenge for breeders, however, so several imperfect variations of the double tail exist. These variations include heart tails, in which the caudal fins are partially fused, giving the fish a heart shape; fused fins, in which dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are all fused into one; and triple tails (the tail is split into three parts).
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Halfmoon tail: The
ideal halfmoon tail resembles a delta tail opened up until both edges are straight and vertical—a full 180° spread of the tail. Many specimens have considerably less than 180° of spread and are intermediate between halfmoons and deltas. Specimens with a spread of more than 180° are referred to as OHM (“over halfmoon”).
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Comb and crown
tails: The comb tail has a fringe around the outer edge of the tail that extends beyond the webbing, creating a comblike appearance. Crown tails were first produced by Asian betta breeders at the end of the 20th century. This trait produces long extensions in all the betta’s fins, but in the tail the desired effect is branched ray extensions—at least two branches but sometimes three or even four. The rays also extend much farther in a crown tail than a comb tail.
“Wild Bettas”
Many aquarists specialize in what are referred to as “wild bettas”—these are not true wild betta fish but fish of
different species altogether that have recently begun to be bred in captivity. Some, such as Betta smaragdina and
Betta imbellis, have previously been crossed with Betta splendens in domestic betta breeding. There are also
a few dozen other known betta species, with more still
being discovered.
Most of these fish are not as colorful as the common betta, and many come from rainforest streams rather than the lowland plains where Betta splendens are found. They usually are mouthbrooders—whereas common bettas incubate their young by creating a nest of bubbles on the water’s surface, a male mouthbrooder takes all of the eggs into his mouth and broods them in his throat until they are free-swimming. Many “wild bettas” have specific water requirements and also tend to be very expensive compared with regular bettas. However, as more aquarists have
success in breeding these fish domestically, their availability and adaptability as pets are likely to increase.
Personality
When properly cared for, common bettas are interesting tropical fish that will greet you eagerly at the front glass of their containers, dancing in anticipation of some food. They also will prowl their space, alert for signs of food or foes. These fish are slow and deliberate, not bustling, but are lively when maintained under the right conditions.
A betta can be a welcome addition to an existing aquarium as long as the other inhabitants are nonaggressive and large enough that the betta won’t view them as a potential food source. Male bettas are particularly aggressive toward one another and never should be kept in the same tank.
| Text & Photos Copyright © 2007 TFH Publications, Inc. | Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
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