Betta splendens is the Latin name for the fish many people know as The Siamese Fighting Fish. Aquarists often simply call them bettas. They are called fighting fish because the males will fight to the death if placed in the same tank.

Male bettas are bred in a wide array of colors, from royal blue and purple to brilliant scarlet red. They are truly striking as they swim through the water with their long fins flowing. When courting or upon sight of another male betta (even their own reflection!) the male's gills flare out in an impressive show of virility. The female bettas are drab and brown, but much less prone to fighting than their male counterparts. It is not recommended to keep males with any of their own species except during breeding. They can live with other short finned freshwater species in a tank if there is plenty of room. Fish with long fins will probably provoke the male betta to attack simply by looking too much like a betta!

Male bettas are the pretty 2" to 3" fish with flowing fins often seen in pet stores in rows of small cups. This may seem cruel, but it is difficult to house large numbers of them otherwise because of their vicious nature. Although not ideal, they can live for a time in those little cups provided their water is exchanged with fresh treated water regularly. In fact, their ancestors' homes in nature were often quite a lot worse! Betta splendens come from Eastern China, in Thailand and Malaysia. They are sometimes seen in rice paddies, or nearby in water filled holes left by a horse's hoof.

The water they live in is sometimes quite stagnant, but they can live for some time in these adverse conditions due to a body part called a labyrinth. This is a chamber inside the fish that allows them to breath small amounts of air and use the oxygen from it. This characteristic also makes them hardy aquarium candidates.

Bettas are carnivorous and love live foods like water daphnia, tubifex worms and blood worms. They will even eat mosquito larva and small ants. You can also feed them prepared foods sold in small canisters at pet stores. It doesn't take much food for one little betta.

While the betta fish can live in the tiny cups in which they are sold, it is far better to release them into a larger tank or bowl. They do not require the fuss of many other aquarium fish but they enjoy the freedom of a tank, even one as small as two gallons. Their first release into a larger tank after a lifetime in their little cup can be interesting as they first learn to move about. It is not until they are released into a larger container of water that their true beauty can be seen. They make an ideal pet for desk top, small apartment or college