Siamese Fighting Fish

ANIMAL:
Siamese Fighting Fish Betta splendens

Type of Animal:
Gourami

Habitat:
Marshes/marshland, canals, rice paddies, slow-moving/still streams, paddy fields, floodplains, ponds, rivers, stagnant pools, shallow river basins

Location(s):
SE Asia. Introduced in Australia, US, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, & Dominican Republic

Appearance:
Wild form gray or earth-toned w/ plain stripes & dashes of green/orange/iridescent blue w/ relatively short tail fins, males more colorful than females & captive males often very vibrant, males have much longer/larger fins, females shorter/wider-bodied than males, males flatter, females show vertical stripes when ready to breed, males have more visible beard, come in wide variety of colors/tail variations/fin variations (especially in captive form)

Food/Diet:
Zooplankton, crustaceans, insects, insect larvae, fish pellets, worms, fish granules, fish flakes, apples, mangos, bananas, melons, kiwis, vegetable pellets, fish meal, eggs, spiders, meat pellets

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in pet trade & aquaculture

Lifestyle:
Solitary, though females sometimes found in sororities of 5-10 fish

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Fry
Group: Sorority

Weight:
Male: 0.075-0.108 oz
Female: 0.069-0.103 oz
 
Gestation:
1.5 days 

Life Span:
2-3 years

Body Length:
Male: 1.78-2.05 in
Female: 1.74-2 in
Young: 0.45-0.6 in

Tail Length:
Male: 1.3 in
Female: 0.6 in

Main predators are larger fish, feral/domestic cats, fishing cats, salamanders, newts, birds, snakes, turtles, & frogs.
 
Get name due to males being extremely territorial, often fighting to the death. Males also sometimes kill females outside of breeding season & when protecting young fry. Females occasionally fight to death. Males even flare up at own reflections.
 
Males create bubble nests & females select males w/ better bubble nests as well as larger more colorful longer-finned males.
 
Sexually mature at 3 months old.
 
Very popular pet fish.
 
Often called Betta fish but these are just 1 of many Betta species. Also known as pla kut (biting fish) in Thai due to tendency of males to bite each other.
 
When interested in female, males flare gills, spread fins, & twist bodies.
 
In areas where introduced, they can be invasive, especially in N Australia.
 
Sometimes hybridize w/ other Betta species.

Fun Fact(s):
Became Thailand’s national aquatic animal on February 5, 2019.
 
One variation Marble Betta originated in an Indiana state prison where inmate raised fish in peanut butter jars. His experiments led to fish being mailed to outside breeders.
 
Unlike many other fish, they can breathe air from surface, using labyrinth organ.
 
In the past, they were bred specifically for fighting. In fact, in 1800s, Thai king Rama III authorized people to collect these fish & have fighting competitions. Also arranged large exports of these fish to other countries, where they’ve since been pet store staples.

2 thoughts on “Siamese Fighting Fish

  1. keyexpertise.top

    In case you are not sure of what sort of service you need or what
    kind of key you’ve gotten our dispatch crew is ready to help!
    Our team of professionals is there to assist you find one of
    the best answer on your property and location. 3.

    Our skilled technician will analyze the problem and come up with an answer.
    Our services are affordably priced and we’re a one cease resolution for all of
    your locksmithing needs, whether or not you’re a home,
    enterprise, or car owner. These are people who acknowledge the interest as a true art form somewhat than a means to
    acquire unlawful goods. Lots of people contact a locksmith technician to
    do safety companies on their homes. A dealership only operates during common enterprise hours, so what happens whenever you need a
    Mercedes locksmith within the evening, on the weekend, or during a vacation? 2.
    Then, you will need to file that key clean into a pointy
    point, form of like a blade, and we do that utilizing a Pippin file.
    Unfortunately, fashionable thieves will most likely break a window than carry
    out in the artistry that is lock choosing.

    Reply
  2. keyexpertise.top

    We will aid you by choosing your door lock for you you probably have a spare key inside your property.
    Our priority at MoneySmartFamily is to help readers improve
    their funds and we companion with firms that would assist you.
    A locksmith skilled has to make it a private precedence to stay up to date with the latest car
    locks, automotive or house keys, and safety merchandise to stay important within the age of technology.
    These include mailbox keys, recreational car keys, locker keys, or keys to open a protected or a bike
    lock. Lock Repair for UPVC & Wooden Doors Lock Repair – All Night Latch Repair.
    Receiving a lock restore service from someone who isn’t respected is risky.
    Now that you already know the primary reasons why the key gets stuck in the lock, it’s, therefore, helpful to know which solution to adopt to remove the important thing from the lock depending on the reason for the issue.
    Finally, it’s not really a security measure however you may need to
    ask your locksmith to key your locks alike. On the very odd occasion we may have to use destructive methods like drilling however this
    is extremely uncommon.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *