Strolling through the aisles of a pet store, you might spot colorful, long-finned fish swimming one by one in small bowls. You might wonder if they feel lonely and why they develop such attractive fins when no other fish are around to notice.
The reason why these creatures, known as Siamese fighting fish or bettas, are kept in isolation is that they are quite territorial. In fact, the males can be so hostile toward each other that it is illegal in some locations to place them in the same container.
When a male betta thinks he sees another male betta, even it’s just his own reflection in a mirror, he puffs up his fins and expands his gills to prepare for an attack. Once a battle begins, two bettas may fight for hours until one kills the other. Ironically, when placed with any other type of fish, bettas are very peaceful.
In the wild, bettas live in the stagnant water of southeast Asia’s rice paddies, where their aggression serves to protect their territory, especially when raising their offspring. The male bettas care for their young from egg to adolescence.
This process begins with a daddy-to-be claiming a suitable location. Next, he will spend hours releasing gulps of air just below the surface of the water to build a bubble nest. These fragile structures are about 2 inches in diameter and require constant attention.
Once the nest is built, the hopeful father fish flares his fins and gills to attract a female. Once she has released her eggs, the male fertilizes them, and then gently places them in the bubble nest. He then chases the female away, because it is his job to provide protection from now on.
The male has an important role during the eggs’ incubation, which lasts for 24 to 36 hours. If any eggs start to sink, he captures them. He maintains the bubble nest on the surface to make sure it gets plenty of oxygen. Once the hatching starts, the youngsters float with their tails down before they start to swim horizontally.
How did bettas come to be sold as pets? Sometime before the 18th century, they caught the attention of Siamese villagers in a region now known as Thailand. For sport, the men would pit two fish against each other to determine which one would continue fighting the longest. Bettas looked very different from what you see now, as they were a greenish brown hue with shorter fins.
Eventually, villagers began breeding the fish to be more and more combative. Significant wagers would be made on the outcome of betta battles. Some victorious contestants won such prizes as houses and family members!
In the 1840s, the popularity of bettas skyrocketed when the King of Siam developed an interest in them. He would entertain visiting international diplomats with the fish’s hours-long altercations. By the early years of the following century, descendants of the King’s breeding program were imported into Europe and North America.
Color not Combat
Hobbyists began selecting the most vibrantly colorful fish to breed, rather than the most pugnacious. Today, bettas comes in a multitude of hues with a variety of fin shapes. If you add a betta to your aquarium, you will appreciate its beauty and calm. Make sure you always have a lid on, though, because bettas have been known to jump out of their containers. Even if you find your fish gasping on the ground, it might still be okay, because bettas have the ability to absorb oxygen from air. Just don’t let it see another male!
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