Betta Fish - Fun Facts: The Warrior 'Bettah' Betta fish derived their name from an ancient warrior group from Thailand, and were given the name in the 1800s once they became popular for their fighting skills. In those times Betta fish fights were a popular sport - so popular, in fact, that the King of Siam decided to have them regulated and taxed. Bets were placed on the bravery of the Betta fish during fights rather then on the damage inflicted. The Males Of The Species Are Extremely Territorial Ironically the male Betta fish behave in an extremely alpha way when around other aggresive fish of any kind, in particular other Betta males. They are highly territorial and have been known to fight until they kill, or are killed, by their opponents in order to protect their territory. This is the reason Bettas are often placed in secluded tanks at pet stores, or at the most with other, more docile fish - and you'll never find two Betta males in the same fish tank. Wild Betta Fish Are Very Different From The Household Variety Wild Bettas are usually a dull brown color and their dorsal stripes are darker then their household counterparts. They're all about survival in hostile environments, and so their colors help them camouflage themselves from predators. The Bettas are native to the Mekong Basin, flowing through Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. They are usually found in shallow, freshwater areas like ponds and streams. Bettas Can Be Fooled By Mirrors, Believing Their Reflection To Be a Rival If you place a mirror in front of a Betta, it will see its own reflection and think it to be a rival. Instantly it will go on a fighting spree, waving fins and moving about. Once the mirror is taken away, the Betta will feel triumphant, thinking that the fight has been won. Feeding Your Betta - Frequent Meals Are Better Your Bettas must be fed with small but frequent meals. Their stomach size is equal to that of an eyeball and the best feeding schedule is to offer it food twice a day. Pet Bettas literally beg for food when they see anybody nearby. Bettas Are Carnivorous In Nature Generally, Betta fish are carnivores (or, to be more exact, insectivores). They prefer to feed on insect larvae, worms, fish pellet and flakes. They also feed on eggs of insects occasionally. In general, if you see Bettas feeding off of plant roots and such, it means they're very hungry and unable to find the insects they crave for. Betta Fish Taste With Their Fins The delicate fins of the Bettas have some muscles, nerve cells and taste buds. This enables the Bettas to taste food or any other object with their fins. Betta Fish Sport a Large Variety Of Diverse Tail Shapes The most common Betta tail is the veil tail, which is an extra long, flowing double tail, and is particularly beautiful. Apart from this, there are several other tail shapes like double tail, half moon, crown tail and so on. Betta Fish Can Breathe Air Bettas have a special organ through which they can breathe in air like human beings. This unique organ, known as the labyrinth, is very crucial and helps the Bettas to survive in slow flowing streams and rice paddies, wherein the oxygen content of the water is comparatively lower. Males Are The Child Raisers In The Family Yes, it's the duty of the daddy Betta. For 3-4 days after the mating, the fries (baby Bettas) absorb nutrients from their respective yolk sacs. At that time, the males are the caretakers, returning any hatchling that falls from the bubble nest. This guarding activity continues until the fry can swim and feed on its own. Betta Fish Are Bred In Many Strains of Colors The Bettas display a plethora of color patterns and strains, with new colored fish constantly being developed by breeders. The primary color is red, but you will also come across species that are yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black or purple. There are also a few bettas which come with spots and stripes. Siamese Fighting Fish Can Live Up To 9 Years, In Optimal Conditions Although on average Bettas live around 2-3 years, they can live as long as 9 years when the water conditions are good and they go through regular exercise. This is an extremely long life span compared to other fish species. They Build Bubble Nests To Help Protect Their Eggs Preparing the space for the arriving eggs is the responsibility of the male Betta. They will make bubble nests for the eggs by taking in air and then spitting out a bubble embedded in the spit. This process comes instinctively to male Bettas, and they might even engage in this behaviour if there are no females present around them. For more information, log on to the below sites: http://www.top10zen.com/20-interesting-betta-fish-facts-to-better-know-your-betta-1417?page=4 http://mom.me/pets/small-pets/19894-cool-facts-about-betta-fish/