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| Betta Fish |
Betta Fish
Betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish, are small, colorful fish native to Southeast Asia and common in the pet trade.
In Thailand, people call betta fish "plat cat", meaning "fighting fish", and it could not be a more appropriate name. Male Bettus, known as combatants, aggressively nap on their gill covers and feathers of other males (or even females) who become too close. In the wild, fights can last only 15 minutes, but in Thailand people have placed bets that are capable of fighting for hours.
Bettas do well in captivity, and their aggressiveness, which many find amusing, as well as their vibrant colors, have helped make the species popular for pets around the world. Back in their original home, however, the fish are slowly disappearing.
Read more: Betta Fish - The Dazzling Siamese Fighting Fish
Where do betta fish come from?
A total of 73 types of speculum live in the freshwater environment of Southeast Asia, and all of these varieties belong to the family Osphronamidae. But the species most people are familiar with is Betta splendens. These originate from Betta Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins from Thailand (formerly called Siam). The fish roam in shallow, almost stagnant waters, such as swamps, floodplains, and rice trees. In the wild, unlucky insects that fall into the water, as well as small crustaceans, mosquito larvae and other aquatic arthropods, munch on animals.
Bettas are usually small, 2.4 to 3.1 inches long (6 to 8 centimeters), and live on average for about two years. In the wild, male bettas never grow the beautiful, flowing feathers commonly seen at pet shops, their wildly varying sizes and vibrant goldsmiths, reds, gloom, greens and violet. According to the Animal Diversity Web of the University of Michigan, those characteristics are the result of selective breeding. Wild Siamese fighting fish have a dull green color and small fins, which they glow to attract mates and predators, such as salamanders, cats, and large fish. The more flamboyant, captive males, however, seem to use their increased colors to their advantage, both to attract mates and to fight while defending the area.
Scientists are particularly interested in Bett's vast behavior and the physiological mechanisms behind it. Fish, a crude oil antidepressant, antidepressants such as Prozac and fluoxetine, have become a model organism for the study of sediments such as dissolved drugs and even alcohol in waterways.
Fish aggression has long been exploited for the financial benefit of people to gamble on fish fights. In Southeast Asia, people have caught fighting fishes that have been going on for centuries in the country of Siamese and have put people at stake for cock fighting. Such organized fish fights are illegal in the United States. Even using a mirror to make fish seems like another person to be considered immoral, although some companies branded "exercise mirrors" to keep their wings stable to overcome boredom and depression. Is produced.
How does betta fish breed?
The reproductive behavior among Siamese fighting fish is a mixture of beauty and terror, as their courtship can dice a little. It starts by blowing the male's bubbles. He catches some air on the surface and then expels the mucus-coated bubbles that sit on the surface of the water. The male does this for hours until dense bubbles are formed. Then, he chases a woman.
Male betta fish first try to politely lure a female under the nest, brightening their wings and covering their gills. According to the Animal Diversity Web, if she is irresponsible or uncooperative, the male may turn violently on her tail and wings, so that they tear and rip her.
When the female finally gets ready to orgasm, the males are ready to accept, do two dances, circle each other and favor each other. The male eventually wraps a feather around the female in a hug, twisting it upside down and fertilizing her eggs. When he lets go, the female belly-up remains suspended, as if in a trance, and releases some fertilized eggs, usually three to seven at a time. The male catches eggs in their mouths as they coat them with mucus before attaching them to bubbles in their nests.
Males and females will perform this dance dozens of times until it has produced hundreds of eggs. When that is done, the male aggressively removes the female and protects the bubble nest, until the eggs hatch serially, 24 to 48 hours later. The male will protect the hatchling for three to four days, while they absorb their yolk. Once a fish fry is free swimming, however, they are on their own. The young become almost mature after five months.
Is betta fish a threat?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, Siamese fish are considered as their habitat for urban development and farming. Fish is also threatened by farming and pollution from cities and their population is decreasing in the wild areas. The IUCN has suggested that captive breeding programs may help to rescue wild populations.
However, a large population of betta floats in aquariums around the world. Fish became a pet trade favorite and has only grown in popularity due to its easy care and eye catching colors (not to mention the cheaper price; they are sold for at least $ 2.49). According to Prithvi.com, Bettas' domesticated animal population is stocked entirely from captive populations, not from the wild.
Bets are easy to care for because they live in warm water, typically 75–80 ° F (24–27 ° C) and are completely fine without other fish around. Betas can breathe oxygen from both air and water due to an organ called a labyrinth, such as a labyrinth.
In the wild, labyrinth organs allow them to survive in poorly oxygenated water and when the water is almost dry. But in captivity, this means that they can live in much smaller tanks than other fishes, and tanks that do not require continuous oxygen. However, veterinarians say that according to Adelphi University, people keep the fish in at least a 2-gallon (7.6-liter) tank.
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