Photo: DefenderRegina, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Peaceful betta
Betta imbellis
6 cm
Adult size
50 L
Minimum volume
2
Minimum group
5 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Betta
- Diet
- carnivore
- Social life
- pair
In the wild
Overview
Its Latin name means “peaceful”, yet it is bred for fighting in southern Thailand, like B. splendens. It has also been crossed with other Betta for the hobby, giving coloured forms that do not exist in the wild. Like other Betta, it builds a bubble nest.
- Scientific name
- Betta imbellis Ladiges, 1975
- Classification
- Anabantiformes › Osphronemidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Southern Thailand, Malay Peninsula and northern Sumatra; introduced in Singapore
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It lives in calm or still water, often shaded and poor in oxygen: rice fields, marshes, ditches, streams and ponds, sometimes in coastal brackish water. Releases of aquarium forms threaten the genetic purity of some populations.
Behaviour
It does not suit a standard community tank: keep it alone or with small, very peaceful species. With enough hiding places several males can live together, but a pair remains safer. It hunts invertebrates: dry food, and above all live or frozen prey. It breathes air at the surface.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth