All About Bettas: The Splendens Complex
While the colorful, highly aggressive, longfinned fish sold in little cups in pet stores may be what first comes to mind when you hear the word ‘betta,’ that is merely one of 73 recognized species in the genus of betta. These species are grouped into species complexes due to similarities in appearance, how they breed, and how they live. I will be going through each of these complexes one by one to help you, the reader, better identify and learn about these fascinating fish that have gripped our hearts for many many years. We will be starting off with the splendens complex, a group of six mouthbrooding bettas including the mass produced specimens we know and love.
All images have been taken from seriouslyfish and do not belong to me. If you own one of these images and wish for it to be removed, or want to be credited differently, please message me. The exception is the betta splendens photo, which is owned by me. The other exception is the betta stiktos photo, which was pulled from fishbase.org
To breed, The males of this complex will build a bubble nest to impress the females, which will then hold the eggs until they hatch. This method of breeding is known as bubblenesting.
Betta imbellis
Sometimes called the crescent betta or the peaceful betta, these highly iridescent fish naturally occur in southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and northern Sumatra. Inhabiting slow moving rivers and rice paddies choked with plants and tannins, they catch bugs for food. They average 50-60 millimeters in total length. They like water in the mid to upper 70s fahrenheit but can tolerate a few degrees higher or lower. This species is sometimes bred for aggression and used for fish fights.
Betta mahachaiensis
The scentific name of this fish endemic to areas bordering the gulf of Thailand is often shortened to merely Betta mahachai. These bettas are sometimes found in brackish water as well as fresh. Tannins stain the water like tea and plants provide shade and places to hide. Temperatures in the 70s fahrenheit are ideal for this small species, rarely growing bigger than 60 millimeters in total length. While it is possible to keep them in opposite sex pairs, some specimens are too aggressive for conspecifics.
Betta siamorientalis
Perhaps the least common species in the splendens complex, this tiny betta achieves a typical length of 25-33 millimeters. They may be found in eastern Thailand, western Cambodia, and Vietnam. They inhabit slow moving bodies of water with dense vegatation. Much like other members of the complex, they like temperatures above 70 and below 80 fahrenheit.
Betta smaragdina
Commonly called the emerald green betta, the smaragdina is native to the Khorat Plateau in eastern Thailand. They hail from still, tannin stained blackwater where they hunt for bugs and invertebrates amongst the plants. The smaragdina tops out at 60 millimeters and enjoys temperatures in the 70s fahrenheit.
Betta splendens
At long last we reach the splendens, the ubiquitous betta, the siamese fighting fish. The wild forms are difficult, if not impossible, to come across these days, but the ornamental domestic strains can be found for as little as $7 at most pet stores. They are highly adaptable and not very fussy about pH, but do best in water from the upper 70s to the low 80s fahrenheit. They come in a wide range of colors and fin types, and average 60-70 millimeters long. The giant varieties can be even larger. These domestic strains are far too aggressive to keep with conspecifics, though other fish species may be compatible in some cases.
Betta stiktos
To round out the splendens complex, we have the elusive stiktos, a fish so uncommon there is hardly any information about them online. Care is near identical to every other splendens complex fish, though one would be hard pressed to find these fascinating bubblenesters available for sale.
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