Spotted betta
Encyclopedia
The spotted betta or Javanese fighting fish (Betta picta) is a freshwater
ray-finned fish in the gourami
family
(Osphronemidae) of order
Perciformes
. The type species
of genus
Betta
, it is native to relatively cool, 22‒25 °C (72‒75 °F), highland streams of Java
and Sumatra
.
In 1967, D. S. Johnson reported the species to be common in blackwater
s of southern Malaya
,
but it is not clear that this population was in fact B. picta, as many similar Betta species had not yet been described at the time.
Of largely unremarkable Betta appearance, B. picta attains an overall length of 6 cm (2.4 in).
It is noted for the pale bars on the male's back, absent in other similar Betta species.
Mouthbrooder
s, spotted bettas spawn en masse when triggered by water changes; this is likely to be an adaptation to reduce the chances, by saturating the environment with young, of individual fry falling prey to predators. This betta spawns readily and prolifically in captivity, producing easily-raised fry.
Even though it is easily kept and bred, it is not one of the more popular Betta species among hobbyists, likely because, in the words of one B. picta keeper, "many just can not get excited by watching a drab colored fish that spends most of its time hiding away under the rocks and behind the plants."
Originally described by Valenciennes and assigned to genus Panchax (as P. pictum), it was found to be identical to Betta trifasciata Bleeker, 1850, the type for genus Betta. P. pictum and B. trifasciata are thus invalid synonyms for B. picta.
As the original type specimens are now lost, Tan and Kottelat redescribed the species in 1998.
B. picta is also known as the Java fighting fish.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
ray-finned fish in the gourami
Gourami
Gouramis are a family, Osphronemidae, of freshwater perciform fishes. The fish are native to Asia, from Pakistan and India to the Malay Archipelago and north-easterly towards Korea. The name "gourami" is also used for fish of the families Helostomatidae and Anabantidae. "Gouramis" is an example of...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Osphronemidae) of order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Perciformes
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
. The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Betta
Betta
Betta is a large genus of small, often colorful, freshwater ray-finned fishes in the gourami family . The type species is B. picta, the spotted betta.By far the best known Betta species, however, is B...
, it is native to relatively cool, 22‒25 °C (72‒75 °F), highland streams of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
.
In 1967, D. S. Johnson reported the species to be common in blackwater
Blackwater river
A blackwater river is a river with a deep, slow-moving channel that flows through forested swamps and wetlands. As vegetation decays in the water, tannins are leached out, resulting in transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling tea or coffee. Most major blackwater rivers are in...
s of southern Malaya
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
,
but it is not clear that this population was in fact B. picta, as many similar Betta species had not yet been described at the time.
Of largely unremarkable Betta appearance, B. picta attains an overall length of 6 cm (2.4 in).
It is noted for the pale bars on the male's back, absent in other similar Betta species.
Mouthbrooder
Mouthbrooder
Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a variety of different animals, most notably Darwin's...
s, spotted bettas spawn en masse when triggered by water changes; this is likely to be an adaptation to reduce the chances, by saturating the environment with young, of individual fry falling prey to predators. This betta spawns readily and prolifically in captivity, producing easily-raised fry.
Even though it is easily kept and bred, it is not one of the more popular Betta species among hobbyists, likely because, in the words of one B. picta keeper, "many just can not get excited by watching a drab colored fish that spends most of its time hiding away under the rocks and behind the plants."
Originally described by Valenciennes and assigned to genus Panchax (as P. pictum), it was found to be identical to Betta trifasciata Bleeker, 1850, the type for genus Betta. P. pictum and B. trifasciata are thus invalid synonyms for B. picta.
As the original type specimens are now lost, Tan and Kottelat redescribed the species in 1998.
B. picta is also known as the Java fighting fish.