Betta Fish: Characteristics

The betta fish is from a large species of small and colorful fresh water fishes which are members of the gourami family. Currently, there are around 28 species of betta fish to be known to exist in the wild and in captivity. The most well known and also the most popular species of betta fish which are usually kept as pets, are the B Splendens otherwise known as the Siamese fighting fish.

Betta fish make great pets and an added addition to your aquarium, and there are many different characteristics that the Betta fish can be identified by, the first being their fins which are often very colorful and are also very delicate (an important factor to remember when keeping betta fish. Because their fins are so fragile it is important that you avoid putting anything into their tank that could damage their fins and tails, such as plastic plants.)

Another characteristic of the betta fish is their size. There are actually quite small in size, but they do vary a lot in the wild and in an aquarium setting. Betta’s can range from around 1 inch in length up to 2 and a half inches. The biggest species of betta fish is the Akar betta which can grow up to 5 inches in length. Another well known characteristic of the betta fish is the fact that they are anabantoids which means that they are able to breathe air which is thanks to their unique organ called the labyrinth. This means that betta’s can survive in low oxygen water conditions which would kill most other species of fish and in the wild betta fish can live in places such as slow moving streams, rice paddies and even large puddles!

The array of betta fish species can generally be divided into two groups which is normally based on their spawning behavior. The B Splendens tend to build bubble nests at the top of a tank or in the wild, while the B picta are mouthbrooders. This species are sometimes referred to as pseudo betta’s and it is believed that they evolved from the nest building species to adapt to their fast moving steam homes.

Betta fish really are amazing creatures, and they can be a real joy to keep in an aquarium, they can also become friendly pets and you can even make a small living from breeding betta fish, although because they are known as Siamese fighting fish, this isn’t always as easy as it sounds! However, you can find out more information on breeding and keeping betta fish from dozens of helpful links and websites.

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Caring For Betta Fish