Siamese Fighting Fishベタ

Betta splendensVU— Vulnerable

The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), native to shallow, vegetated waters of the Mekong basin in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, is a small labyrinth fish that can breathe air at the surface thanks to a specialized organ. Domesticated for at least 1,000 years and historically bred for staged fights between males, it has since been selectively bred into countless ornamental color and fin varieties popular in the aquarium trade worldwide. Wild populations are threatened by habitat loss and pollution and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, even as Thailand designated the species its national aquatic animal in 2019.

Siamese Fighting Fish (reference photo)
Photo: Henryk Niestrój / CC BY 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification
Anabantiformes / Osphronemidae Source
Distribution
Native to mainland Southeast Asia—Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam—inhabiting shallow, vegetated waters such as marshes, floodplains, and rice paddies. Source

Did You Know?

  • Males fight fiercely when kept together and have long been bred for staged fights used in gambling matches. Source
  • When threatening a rival, it flares its dorsal fin, tail fin, and gill covers to their fullest extent while its body trembles. Source
  • It has a specialized labyrinth organ that lets it breathe atmospheric air, and males build floating "bubble nests" from bubbles and bits of plant matter during breeding. Source

Where to See This Species

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Conservation Story

Conservation Status

野生のBetta splendensはIUCNでVUです。飼育個体が多いことと野生個体群の安定は同義ではありません。

Habitat

タイを中心とする東南アジアの湿地、水田、氾濫原などの浅い淡水域。

Threats

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

Sources

en.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Why do male betta fish fight?
Males are naturally aggressive toward each other, a trait humans have bred for centuries to stage fights, which is how the species got its common name. Source
How does a betta fish breathe air?
It has a labyrinth organ that lets it absorb oxygen directly from the air at the water's surface. Source
What is a bubble nest?
It is a floating nest of bubbles, often mixed with bits of plants, that a male betta builds to hold eggs during breeding. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org