Slender Betta

About

The slender betta (Betta bellica) is a longer, leaner relative of the familiar fighting fish, native to the dark, tea-colored peat swamps and swamp forests of peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Where the common betta is short and stocky, this species lives up to its name with an almost parallel-sided body dressed in dark brown with iridescent green scaling that catches the light in a very satisfying way. It gives its name to the bellica group within the genus, a cluster of closely related species sharing this same elongated build and color scheme. In the wild it breathes atmospheric air using a labyrinth organ, an adaptation perfectly suited to the oxygen-poor waters of peat bog habitats. This is not a fish for a generic community setup. It can be easily intimidated by boisterous tankmates, and its disposition toward other bettas is inconsistent enough that keeping groups requires careful observation and plenty of space. Small, calm cyprinids tend to make the best companions. Breeding is genuinely interesting. Males build bubble nests in tubes or under broad leaves and take on full parenting duties once spawning wraps up. The fry are reasonably large at hatching and accept live foods early on. An intermediate-level species, but one that pays back the extra attention handsomely.