by Lisa Norris (”Lilli”) added Wednesday 12, July 2006

About Betta splendens

Bettas (pronounced bet-tahs) originated in Thailand. They are tropical fish and require a water temperature of around 28 C to thrive.

Their native habitats are large still bodies of water, like rice paddies. As there is not a lot of dissolved oxygen in these waterways, bettas have a “labyrinth organ” which allows them to breathe atmospheric air, rather than being solely reliant on dissolved oxygen like most other fish.

Bettas are insectivores and are incredibly territorial – hence their common name “Siamese fighting fish”. Please note that fighting bettas in Australia is illegal. Read the rest of this entry »