Betta
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| Missing image Betta_splendens.jpg Siamese fighting fish Siamese fighting fish (B. splendens) | ||||||||||||
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(about 50) |
Betta, Bleeker, 1850, is a genus of freshwater fish in the gourami family (Osphronemidae), found predominantly in Southeast Asia. The type species is the spotted betta (B. picta), but the best-known species is the Siamese fighting fish (B. splendens). Many Betta species are well-suited as aquarium specimens.
Until recently, Betta was a member of the anabantid (Anabantidae) family, and many older references continue to use that classification.
The term "betta" is used as a common name for species of the genus, but it often refers specifically to B. splendens. The first syllable of the name is formally pronounced as the word bet, not bait; even though the name has no connection to the Greek letter beta, it is commonly pronounced as the Greek letter, to the consternation of purists.
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Breathing air
The reason for the previous classification of Betta among the anabantids is its possession of the labyrinth organ characteristic of that family. This is located just behind the head and it is a small chamber with many folds covered in tissue with many blood vessels that allow it to breathe atmospheric air.
This is useful in the oxygen-poor waters where Betta live, and it is so dependent upon it that a Betta will die if it cannot reach the water surface to breathe.
Breeding
The male Betta builds the nest for the female's eggs by blowing sticky air bubbles. These bubbles froth at the surface of the water. After the nest is built, the male will entice the female to the nest. Once the female is under the nest, the male will wrap around the female and embrace her to squeeze the eggs out. when the eggs are out, the male quickly fertilizes the eggs. The male will recover from the embrace and catch the sinking eggs. Once the young hatch, the male briefly guards them. A male may build such a nest even if there is no female present, though he will only build it if he is well taken care of. Male bettas are so aggressive toward rivals that only one may be kept in the same tank. Females can be aggressive as well, though generally not as much so as the males. To minimize conflict in the case of multiple female bettas sharing a tank, a minimum of three should be kept.
Care
Contrary to popular belief, bettas should not be kept in vases or small cups of water. For optimum health, they should be kept in at least one gallon tanks, preferably with a heater, if needed, to keep the water at about 78 degrees fahrenheit.
References
- FishBase: Betta (http://www.fishbase.org/Eschmeyer/GeneraSummary.cfm?ID=Betta)
- ITIS: Betta (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=172610)
External links
- Betta breeding (http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/universal-id30.html) (Information on how to keep and breed bettas)de:Kampffische