Betta History And Background
Betta fish are easily recognized by their brilliant coloring and long flowing fins. They run the gamut of the rainbow - everything from blue to red to white, and the female especially will usually have horizontal stripes. As in many species in nature, the female Betta fish is not as brilliantly colored, and her fins will be shorter than her male counterpart. To find out more about Betta coloring, will posted on "Breeding and Spawning Your Betta Fish."
Betta fish are prized as much for their unique personalities and their warmth towards their owners as for their beautiful colors and flowing tales. Experienced Betta owners insist that each Betta has its own personality traits, habits and methods of communicating their feelings, needs and wants.
Betta fish also make excellent "first fish" for children because of their high degree of interactivity, their personalities and the fact that they children can master the steps required in their care and feeding and need only a little help with the tank cleaning and water changing processes.
Classification and Basic Overview
Category: Fish -> Freshwater Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Basic Information: Lifespan: 2-3 years
Adult Size: 3 inches (7 cm)
Socialization: Males cannot be kept together as they can be aggressive. Bettas react poorly to stress, and if kept in stressful conditions for a period of time, will become nervous and get physically sick
Minimum Tank Size: 3 gallon (Although it's become "chic" for Betta fish to be sold or kept in flower vases, this is actually cruel to the fish, since it's very difficult to maintain the water temperature needed and doesn't give them enough room to swim around.)
Tank Level: Top dweller
Water Type: Fresh water
Diets: flakes and frozen foods if there is no alternative.
Care: Easy to Intermediate
Breeding: Egg layer - bubble nest
History and Background
Historically speaking, Betta Fish are said to have gotten their name from an ancient clan of Asian warriors called the "Bettah." They were given these warriors' names because about 150 years ago people enjoyed participating in a popular sport that involved the fighting of two of these warrior fish. (In fact, the sport was so popular that it was regulated - and taxed - by the King of Siam!)
One interesting note about Betta fish fighting is that, unlike cock or dog fighting in the west, at Siamese fighting fish tournaments, the actual fight was more to test the bravery of the fish, rather than a fight to see how much damage would be inflicted, or a death match. Spectators bet on how long a particular fish would fight, and which one would give up first. (In fact, most fish would only fight once or twice, and then live out the remainder of their lives being pampered and used for breeding.)
They can be found in nature in rice paddies, drainage ditches, slow moving streams and fresh water ponds. Betta fish have even been known thrive in large puddles! Their natural food source is insects and mosquito larvae.
How Breeding Began
According to historical accounts, a close friend of the King of Siam, Dr. Theodore Cantor received a pair of breeding Bettas from the king in 1840. The doctor bred them and studied them for several years, and then wrote a scientific paper about them, giving them a Latin name of "Macropodus Pugnax." However, shortly after his paper was published, Dr. Cantor discovered that a species by that name already existed, and so the fish were renamed "Betta Splendens."
Several breeding pairs of Bettas where sent to Germany in 1896 and then in 1910, Mr. Frank Locke of San Francisco California imported several Bettas to the U.S.A.
One of the fish that he received had unusual red fins - and he excitedly thought he had discovered a new species, and named it "Betta Cambodia." In reality, he had one of the first of the Betta splendens that had naturally developed new colors and characteristics through breeding.
Since that time, breeders have been able to develop Bettas with all of the vibrant coloring and varied fin shapes that we find today. Betta breeding has become a profitable and ongoing passion for many people today, many of whom started with just one or two Bettas in a small aquarium.
The Anatomy of Your Betta Fish
Two of the physical features of a Betta that make them so sought after are the fins and the mouth. But something else that makes them so interesting as pets is that fact that they breathe air - and will continually swim to the top of the their tanks and "take a look around."
How to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Betta Fish:
In addition to being brighter colored and having longer fins, the easiest way to tell males from females is to put the new Betta fish in a flat sided container and put it next to the tank of another male. If it flares up at the site of the other male Betta, then congratulations, it's a boy. If, on the other hand, it suddenly shows vertical stripes, then the Betta fish is a girl. (Female Betta fish - when they're older than 4 months - will have a bumpy white spot on their underbellies. It's the "ovipositor" (egg spot) where she'll release her eggs from when she's breeding.
The Labyrinth
Betta Fish are called anabantids because they breathe surface air, much the same way we do, through special organs called "labyrinth organs." This is a small chamber that takes in air, much the way our lungs do. Because of this, you won't need to use aeration, but you'll have to make sure that the tank isn't overfilled, so that your Betta can swim to the top and gulp in the air he needs. By the way, your Betta's labyrinth only functions when it's moist, so it's very important that he doesn't jump out of the tank, and that he can easily get to the surface.
The Fins and the Tails
The long, flowing fins of the Betta fish are what make it so beautiful and sought after by aquarium owners today, and it is by the shape of their tails that the different breeds are named. Thanks to current breeding methods, there are several different breeds of Betta Fish available today. Here's a short list:
- Crown Tail: The "rays" or spines of the tail extend beyond the webbing. This gives the tail a kind of coronet shape and appearance.
- Double Tail: This is another genetically bred Betta that is rare and can only be purchased from a breeder. The tail is split into two halves, making it appear to have two tails.
- Half Moon: The tail is so wide that it forms a kind of half-moon shape. Very graceful and beautiful to look at, these Bettas are often the most sought-after.
- Delta Tail: The tail forms a triangle because the outside rays of the tail are the same length as the middle ones. If you're planning to "show" your Betta, find one with the largest Delta.
- Round Tail: The tail actually appears round on this breed. The shape comes from the middle rays being the longest, with progressively shorter rays growing out on from the middle.
- Veil Tail: This is the most common variety of Bettas sold in pet stores. The bottom fin rays are longer than the top rays. When flared, they have a diamond rectangular shape. These fish are seldom used by show professionals or breeders, who consider them too common.
Your Betta loves to jump - and will jump out of the tank if he gets the chance! You need to take precautions to assure that this doesn't happen, because not only does he risk injuring himself, if he's out for too long, your betta will die.
The Mouth
Some Betta owners say one of the reasons they were first attracted to the fish because they appeared so "happy." The shape of the Bettas mouths have also been compared to that of bulldogs, both because of the pugilistic look and upturned corners. Something interesting to note is that the Betta's bite actually has the comparable power to that of a shark, although because of its size, it won't hurt you, even if it were to give you an affectionate little "nip" to say hello.
Betta fish take in oxygen through their mouths, so when they swim to the top of the tank to catch a breath of air, they may look like they're talking or singing. There have even been Betta owners who insist that their fish sing along with certain songs when played on the radio.
But for all its power, the Betta fish's mouth is also made to be incredibly gentle. When spawning, the male Betta will swim to the bottom of the tank, gently scoop up the eggs in its mouth and carry them safely to the bubble nest.
To find out more about the bubble nest and how the breeding and spawning processes work, read the chapter on "Breeding Your Betta Fish".
Because they're so easy to take care of, Betta fish are great "first pets" for children, who can learn quickly how to feed and care for them, and need only a little help from you with water changes.