SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH

In Depth Information

Do you already know of the feisty lively personalitied little ball of fire from South East Asia, more specifically from the regions casually referred to as Siam? If not then "hang on" to your seats this will be one heck of a ride. All of us have been exposed to the intrinsic value of raising pets; this little fellow packs mucho punch for his modest size. We have been educated to the fact that aquatic creatures customarily come in two varieties, those that breathe oxygen from water and those that breathe directly from the air. Well, check this out. The Siamese Fighting Fish falls somewhere in the middle. As an anabantid it possesses a unique cavity within its head allowing it to process oxygen directly from the atmosphere by taking "gulps" of air from the surface or since it also is equipped with an efficient set of gills it can accept oxygen transfer from the water in which it lives equally. This evolutionary adaptation allows this small one to cope well in polluted water where another species would instantly be troubled. This is one reason it is capable of flourishing in the rice patties of its native region in shallow areas composed of stagnant muddy water. Although in the wild it presents itself with drab well camouflaged coloration, with today's proficiency in breeding it has become one of the most magnificently colored of all fishes whether fresh water or salt water species. The males of this specie quickly establish ownership of their particular territory and will defend it against encroachment by another male of their specie. With unlimited space in the wild this presents no significant hurdle to Mother Nature however this by necessity is a significant consideration to aquarium operators. These battles are always accompanied by tremendous posturing, outlandish fin expansion, and shows of pompous audacity. These tiny denizens really put on a show. Often aquarists will possess only one male due to this dislike the males share for each other but it is still possible to induce this "show" by exposing your male to it reflection with a mirror. They absolutely will NOT be able to tell it is only a reflection and will proceed to perform quite impressively. This tenacity is actually exploited in its native region into a very popular sport whereby wagering occurs on the outcome of staged combative events in front of large crowds of spectators. It should probably be pointed out that only rarely do two aggressive males fight "to the death"; more commonly one participant, when defeated, skulks off to recover for what may be a rematch at a later time. These fish possess a natural adaptability allowing them to be cultivated quite easily in the common aquarium. In point of fact it can quite easily be maintained in small pint jars without active aeration or filtration. It does prefer to have some live plants around if these are readily available. As it has been encouraged to grow quite long flowing finnage, if it is kept in a community tank, care must be taken that its neighbors do not pick on it, mistaking its fins for an edible food source. What's that you say? I thought this specie was aggressive. Quite the opposite.....you see, Betta Splendens as they are also referred to exist quite peacefully with other inhabitants of their water world with the single exception of other males of their specie. For food these fish can quickly adapt to almost any source available. They do maintain a preference, as do almost all fish, for live food but they accept commercially prepared alternatives in the absence of live quarry. In their native habitat they exist well on a primary diet of mosquito larvae. I have, in the past, dipped up mosquito larvae from pools of water, introduced them to the domesticated Bettas, and have enjoyed a remarkable display of enjoyment from them (the Bettas that is.....not the larvae). With this having been said it should be noted that they will also prey upon the very small fish (babies) of other species similarly....as will most fish species. The temperature they prefer is between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The upper end of the scale encourages breeding more readily, however. I have concentrated most of this treatise on details surrounding the male of this specie because he inevitably is preferred by aquarists due no doubt to his spectacular coloration. The female is easily distinguished by her somewhat diminished coloration and her obviously shorter more conservative finnage. Distinguishing the sexes of this fish remains an important topic though because invariably you will sooner or later entertain ideas of raising them for yourself. As spawning occurs to the male he will produce bubbles from gulps of air from the surface, coat them with the saliva which nature provides for his purpose, and expel them on the surface of the water preferably under a floating plant leaf. These bubbles will adhere to each other and their "leaf" until the male has accumulated several hundred over an area of approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter. He will then seek out the female he's chosen (and who in turn has accepted his courtship) and in her company he'll return underneath his "bubble nest". Once there he will actually wrap his body around hers squeezing the eggs from her. The eggs will then begin a slow descent to the bottom but will rarely reach this destination. The male will disengage his embrace of the female, pursue the 6 to 8 eggs, gather them in his mouth and insert one egg into its individual bubble. This process will continue through several hours and several hundred eggs. Upon depletion of her eggs the female should be removed from this tank altogether. She will be inclined to devour her eggs and the male will not allow this. Accordingly trouble will ensue should she remain in this tank. The male will remain underneath his nest attending to any egg which might fall during the next several days while they are approaching their hatching out point. He will not uncommonly reject all attempts to feed him for this short duration. Do not worry, however, he'll be just fine. As they hatch the fry will need to be kept near the surface to facilitate breathing. Since they are not good swimmers as newborns this is once again performed by the male who will catch any who fall quickly returning them to the bubble nest. This nest does by this time show signs of wear and tear and will not last much longer. When the male Betta becomes so engrossed with tending to the needs of his young and no longer maintains repairs to his bubble nest it quite naturally deteriorates. The young are so small that frequently a magnifying glass must be used to clearly see them. Therefore they must initially be fed microscopic organisms such as infusoria. A readily available source of this can be obtained by crushing a lettuce leaf, soaking it in warm water in a warm area of the house for 2 to 3 days. You may then remove all debris and pour this "cloudy" water mixture into the tank with the fry. Believe me they will devour the creatures contained herein. After approximately 4 days these babies will be able to eat freshly hatched brine shrimp. All reputable aquarium supply sources have kits available to assist with production of these brine shrimp. This is a minor consideration. Warning, however, the initial two weeks of their life is when the young ones are the most vulnerable. That is when their air labyrinth with which they process air from the surface is developing. Should they be exposed to substantial differences in air surface temperature they are susceptible to formation of mucous which will cause their suffocation. This is the most common cause of death for hatchlings of this species. One recommendation is to place a plate glass pane over the top of your breeding tank during this time frame. Be sure, though, to leave a tiny gap near the opposite corner from the bubble nest to allow some passage of air to replenish the oxygen supply. There is some thought that an ample supply of oxygen is derived from natural transfer from the water but most aquarists still leave a marginal "crack" for additional oxygen transfer. Congratulations.......you have just raised your first Siamese Fighting Fish family.