Betta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Betta
Betta albimarginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anabantiformes
Family:	Osphronemidae
Subfamily:	Macropodusinae
Genus:	Betta Bleeker, 1850
Type species
Betta trifasciata Bleeker, 1850
Synonyms
Anostoma van Hasselt, 1859 Micracanthus Sauvage, 1879 Parophiocephalus Popta, 1905 Oshimia D. S. Jordan, 1919 Pseudobetta Richter, 1981

Betta is a large group of small, often very colorful, freshwater fish. They are also known as "bettas". These fish belong to the gourami family (Osphronemidae).

The most famous Betta species is B. splendens. This fish is commonly called the Siamese fighting fish.

What Makes Bettas Special?

All Betta fish are small. Their size can be different depending on the species. Some, like B. chanoides, are less than 2.5 cm (1 inch) long. Others, like the Akar betta (B. akarensis), can grow up to 14 cm (5.5 inches).

Breathing Air

Bettas are special fish called anabantoids. This means they can breathe air from the atmosphere. They do this using a unique body part called a labyrinth. This amazing organ helps them live in water with very little oxygen.

Because of this, bettas can survive in places where most other fish would die. These places include rice paddies, slow streams, drainage ditches, and even large puddles.

How Bettas Have Babies

Bettas have two main ways of having babies, called spawning.

• Some bettas build bubble nests. They make a floating nest of bubbles at the water's surface. The male then guards the eggs and young fish in this nest. The Siamese fighting fish (B. splendens) is an example of a bubble-nest builder.
• Other bettas are mouthbrooder]]s. This means the male carries the eggs and young fish in his mouth until they are ready to swim on their own. B. picta is a mouthbrooding species.

Scientists think that building bubble nests was the original way bettas had babies. Mouthbrooding likely developed later, perhaps to help them survive in faster-moving streams.

The Name Betta

Betta splendens, the Siamese fighting fish, is often called simply a "betta" in the U.S.

In some places, like the United States, the Siamese fighting fish (B. splendens) is often just called a "betta." But there are actually about 73 different species in the Betta group!

When you see Betta written with a capital 'B' and in italics, it refers to the whole group of fish. When it's written as "betta" without italics and a small 'b', it's usually talking about the common name for the fish. For example, the common name for B. pugnax is the Penang betta.

The name Betta is pronounced like the English word "bet." It comes from the Malay phrase ikan betah, which means "persistent fish."

The word "plakat" is often used for short-finned pet bettas. This word comes from the Thai phrase pla kad, meaning "fighting fish." In Thailand, this term is used for all members of the B. splendens group. This is because they all have aggressive tendencies and are often bred for fighting in eastern Thailand.

What Bettas Eat

In the wild, Betta fish are tough and can eat almost any small animal. This includes worms, mosquito larvae, other insects, and even smaller fish. Their natural homes often don't have a lot of food. So, many Betta species eat a wide variety of things to survive.

Protecting Bettas

While many Betta species are common, and the Siamese fighting fish (B. splendens) is very popular as a pet, some other bettas are in danger. The IUCN Red List is a list that shows how threatened different species are. It says that several Betta species are Vulnerable. This means they could become endangered if things don't change.

Some species are even more at risk:

• B. livida is Endangered.
• B. miniopinna, B. persephone, and B. spilotogena are Critically Endangered. This means they are very close to disappearing forever.

One species, Betta cf. tomi, was thought to have disappeared from Singapore between 1970 and 1994. However, this likely refers to the population in Singapore that was wiped out locally. The species B. tomi still exists in the wild in Indonesia and Malaysia, and also in captivity. It is currently listed as Vulnerable.

Types of Bettas

There are currently 75 different species of Betta fish that scientists know about. These species are grouped into different "complexes" based on how they are related.

Some examples of Betta species include:

• Betta akarensis (Akar betta)
• Betta albimarginata
• Betta anabatoides (giant betta)
• Betta bellica (slim betta)
• Betta coccina
• Betta dimidiata
• Betta edithae
• Betta foerschi
• Betta picta (spotted betta)
• Betta pugnax (Penang betta)
• Betta splendens (Siamese fighting fish)
• Betta unimaculata (Howong betta)
• Betta waseri

Images for kids

• 

  A pair of Betta smaragdina

• 

  Male Betta tussyae

See also

In Spanish: Peces luchadores para niños