Historically, Betta Fish are said to have gotten their name from an ancient clan of Asian warriors called the “Bettah”. They were given the names of these warriors because about 150 years ago people enjoyed participating in a popular sport that involved fighting two of these warrior fish. (In fact, the sport was so popular that it was regulated—and taxed—by the King of Siam!)
One interesting observation about fighting Betta fish is that, unlike fighting cocks or dogs in the West, in Siamese fish fighting tournaments, the actual fighting was more to test the fish’s courage, rather than a fight to see how much damage they could inflict, or a death match.
Spectators bet on how long a given fish can fight, and which one will concede first. (In fact, most fish only fight once or twice, then live the rest of their lives coddled and used to reproduce.)
natural habitat
The natural habitat of betta fish is tropical shallow waters. This is because they need to be able to emerge frequently, in order to breathe air. In nature, they can be found in rice paddies, drainage ditches, slow-moving streams and freshwater ponds. Betta fish are known to thrive in large ponds! Its natural food source is insects and mosquito larvae.
How did breeding begin?
According to historical accounts, a close friend of the King of Siam, Dr. Theodore Cantor, received a pair of breeding Bettas from the king in 1840. The doctor bred and studied them for several years, then wrote a scientific paper about them, giving them the Latin name “Macropodus Pugnax”. However, shortly after his paper was published, Dr. Cantor discovered that a species with that name already existed, and so the fish was renamed “Betta Splendens”.
Several pairs of Bettas were sent to Germany in 1896 and then in 1910 Mr. Frank Locke of San Francisco, California imported several types of Bettas into the United States
One of the fish he got had unusual red fins – and he excitedly thought he had discovered a new species, naming it the Cambodian Betta. In fact, he had one of those adorable Bettas that naturally developed new colors and characteristics through breeding.
Since that time, breeders have been able to develop Bettas with all the vibrant colors and varied fin shapes that we find today. Betta breeding has become a profitable and ongoing passion for many people today, many of whom started out with just one or two bettas in a small aquarium.