Chinese Fighting Fish
Facts About The Chinese Fighting Fish
The Chinese Fighting fish (Betta Splendens), also known as the Siamese Fighting fish, is a stunningly beautiful fish, having some peculiar habits. It is a very popular fish for the home aquarium, though best not mixed in with other species, and you definitely do not want two males in the same tank.
The Chinese Fighting fish originated in Siam, present day Thailand, where it was bred for fighting. These fish would fight in the wild, but the fights were often quick lasting, with one of the combatants retreating to perhaps fight another day. Their fighting abilities were recognized however, and soon they were being bred as fighters, and their fame began to extend beyond Southeast Asia.
The Chinese Fighting fish is a shallow-water fish, known to live even in mud puddles. As a pet they can be kept in a very small container, such as a vase, although the water should be changed quite often. It is better though to have the fish in a normal sized aquarium or fish bowl. Just because the fish can live in a large glass of water, doesn't mean that it should! It's a Labyrinth fish, meaning that it can take in oxygen from the surface of the water. If you seen two males in a prolonged battle, they will take occasional breaks, to swing to the surface for a gulp of fresh air.
The males can be quite aggressive, though almost entirely towards other males. Two males in the same container just will not get along, and given enough time, not a lot of time really, you'll end up having only one male. Females on the other hand, are not aggressive. If you put a number of females in the same tank, a pecking order will emerge, with one fish becoming the dominant Alpha fish. Once the order is established, the females seem to get on fine. A male and a female will sometimes fight, but this is the exception rather than the rule, and seems to happen most often around spawning time. When males fight, they initiate things by a practice called flaring. The male will extend its fins and gills to appear much larger than it actually is. This often is enough to convince the other potential combatant to withdraw. Of the other fish doesn't fall for the bluff and also flares, there'll be a fight. Of course in a small fish tank where there is no place to withdraw, a fight will become inevitable.
Some pet owners like to occasionally place a mirror by the fish tank. When the male sees its reflection, it will often become agitated and start flaring. While entertaining, too much of this isn't necessarily good for the fish. Most owners of Chinese fighting fish have them for their beauty, and not for their fighting capabilities. With large colorful fins and flowing tails, these are indeed beautiful fish. In the wild they were a brownish-green color. After many generations of breeding, these fish come in a wide variety of colors, ranging from solid colors, bi-colors, and patterns. Some varieties, called cellophanes, have no color, they are translucent. There are albinos, white, yellow, red, blue, and black varieties. Some of the more attractive varieties come in iridescent shades of blue. A violet variety is, like the albino, quite rare.
On the domestic side, the male is the nest builder. A nest consists of thousands of tiny air bubbles, and is appropriately called a bubble nest. When the female spawns, the male will carry the eggs in its mouth, and place them in the bubble nest. If a female is put into a tank with a male, the male will often start building a bubble nest right away. If spawning does not occur, there may sometimes be a fight, but again, the male usually only fights with other males.
If you decide to purchase a Chinese Fighting fish, be aware that they are also called Siamese Fighting fish, and Bettas ( Betta coming from the species designation). These have become very popular in this country, where fortunately, they are purchased as objects of significant beauty, and not as fighting machines.