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Bubble Nest
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Betta
Fish Information
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Betta Fish Basics
Betta Fish are also called Siamese Fighting Fish. The name Betta is
pronounced as the Greek letter beta, and because of this, the name is
often misspelled in American English, with one t instead of two. The
name is unrelated to the Greek letter and originates from the Thai
phrase 'ikan bettah'. In Thailand, betta fish are known as pla-kad.
Betta Fish live in freshwater. Betta fish are one of the most popular
aquarium fish. This is mainly because of their appearance - certainly
not because they are easy to keep in an aquarium. Betta Fish originate
from the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia.
Betta fish are
known to "puff-out" when aggravated. When this happens their gills and
fins puff out to appear more impressive. They do it to either
intimidate rival males or to impress females during courtship.
One interesting aspect of
Betta fish is their extremely well-developed eyesight. Betta fish will
swim to the surface when they see your hand over the tank as you feed
them.
Betta fish grow to about
6 cm, and have a life-span, on average, of about four years. Well
maintained aquarium Bettas have been known to live longer than six
years.
In Asian countries, the
Betta fish have been used in fights
not unlike cockfighting
known in Mexico. These fighting fish usually have much shorter fins
than the Betta fish we are accustomed to in the west. Betta Fish
breeders have developed the brilliantly colored and long finned
varieties of Bettas we see in pet stores today.
Betta fish create nests
made of floating masses of bubbles. They are blown with saliva. These
bubble nests are a place for fertilized eggs to hatch in. The nest is
guarded by the male until the small Betta fishes hatch. The nests are
made from air bubbles which when coated with saliva increase its
strength. When the male Betta makes the nest you can hear a louder
noise than when it breathes normally. After the Betta fish have
spawned, the eggs float up into the nest from below or the male Betta
carries them there in its mouth.
The male Betta will guard
the nest for the next 24-48 hours until the eggs hatch. He also keeps a
close watch on the eggs and will retrieve any eggs or fry that fall
from the nest. He will also repair the nest by adding bubbles where
needed. After the fry hatch (in 24-48 hours) the male will tend the
fish for the next couple of weeks.
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