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Betta is a large genus of tiny, typically colorful, freshwater ray-finned fishes in the gourami family known as “bettas” (Osphronemidae). B. splendens, sometimes known as the Siamese fighting fish, is the most well-known Betta species.

The Betta species are all tiny fish, although they range in size from under 2.5 cm (1 in) total length in B. chanoides to 14 cm (5.5 in) total length in the Akar betta (B. akarensis).

Bettas are anabantoids, which means they have a special organ called the labyrinth that allows them to breathe atmospheric air. This explains why they can survive in low-oxygen environments where most other fish would perish, such as rice fields, slow-moving streams, drainage ditches, and huge puddles.

Bettas have two types of spawning behavior: some, like B. splendens, create bubble nests, while others, like B. picta, are mouthbrooders. The mouthbrooding species are frequently referred to as “pseudo bettas,” and they are thought to have developed from the nest-builders as a result of their fast-moving stream environments.

Betta’s original state was bubble-nesting, according to a phylogenetic research published in 2004, and mouthbrooding has evolved on many occasions over the genus’ history. It was unable to find a link between any of the three habitat factors studied: whether a species was located in lowland or highland streams, peat swamp forests, or water with rapid or sluggish currents. Mouthbrooding species have less sexual dimorphism than bubble-nesting species, possibly because they do not have to defend a territory.

In the United States, Siamese fighting fish (B. splendens) are commonly referred to as “bettas.” In reality, the genus Betta has around 73 species as of 2017. A noteworthy difference is that, while the generic name Betta is italics and capitalized, it is rarely italicized or capitalized when used as a common name. Penang betta, for example, is the common name for B. pugnax.

The initial component of the name Betta (or betta) is pronounced /bt/, which is the same as the English word bet. In American English, the name is commonly pronounced /bet/ and can be written with only one ‘t’. The word ikan betah is derived from the Malay word ikan (“persistent fish”).

The Thai term for all members of the B. splendens species complex is “plakat,” which is commonly used to the short-finned ornamental strains and is derived from pla kad, which means “fighting fish” (All have aggressive tendencies in the wild and all are extensively line-bred for aggression in eastern Thailand). The Thai term isn’t limited to a single strain. All members of the B. splendens species complex, including the Siamese fighting fish, are referred to as “fighting fish.”

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