Discover fishes of the family of Osphronemidae

Betta albimarginata is a small betta endemic to East Kalimantan, in Borneo. The reddish-orange male is characterized by fins edged in white, while the female remains brownish. It is a paternal mouthbrooder living in acidic forest waters.

Of dark and slender appearance, the slender Betta hunts small invertebrates, notably dragonfly nymphs. The labyrinth organ allows it to tolerate warm and poorly oxygenated waters.

Endemic to the peat swamps of Sarawak and West Kalimantan, this fish is a tiny brick-red Betta that lives at very shallow depths in acidic black waters. Calm and discreet, it builds a bubble nest and the male guards the spawn.

Betta channoides is a small fish endemic to the Mahakam basin in Borneo. A miniature species, it exemplifies the specialization of bettas in blackwater environments.

Betta coccina is distinguished by its bright red coloration and an iridescent spot in males. It inhabits the acidic black waters of the swampy forests of Malaysia and Sumatra (Indonesia).

Endemic to the soft acidic blackwaters of Borneo, this fish reproduces through paternal mouthbrooding. Holding the eggs in its mouth secures the spawn in unstable, oxygen-poor streams.

The Gladiator Betta is a small fish endemic to the Maliau Basin (Sabah, Borneo). Aggressive and territorial, it lives in streams with very acidic black water (pH 4.2–4.8) under dense forest cover.

The crescent betta is a small fish from the Malay Peninsula and northern Sumatra, with introductions in Sabah. It lives in ponds, ditches, and rice fields, in calm and shallow water.

With its red coat and dark contrasts, the spotfin betta is one of the largest representatives of the unimaculata group. Found in acidic forest pools in Borneo, it is vulnerable to deforestation and the aquarium trade.

Endemic to the Maha Chai region in Thailand, Betta mahachaiensis is distinguished by its green to blue-green iridescent scales and two bright bars on the operculum. A bubble nest builder, it uses the bracts of nipa palm as shelter for reproduction.

Native to the acidic and shallow forest streams of Thailand, Betta pallida is a paternal mouthbrooder evolving discreetly among leaf litter.

The tiger Betta is a large betta from southern East Kalimantan, endemic to around Balikpapan and Samarinda, where it inhabits cool and well-oxygenated forest streams.

Betta persephone, native to the dark peat swamps of Johor in Malaysia, is a bluish black small fighter threatened by the rapid disappearance of its habitat. It builds a bubble nest among the dead leaves of acidic waters.

The Simor fighter is a small betta found in blackwater peat bogs, distributed between Sumatra (Jambi, Riau) and western Kalimantan. It is discreet, living at shallow depths among leaves and roots, preying on small invertebrates and breeding in bubble nests.

It has a brighter color than the female. In breeding season, it builds a bubble nest. After courtship and spawning, it collects and keeps the eggs in the nest until hatching. The males are so aggressive towards one another that in the Far East, fights are organized.

Endemic to the peat swamps of Borneo, Betta strohi lives in acidic and shaded blackwaters between Jelai, Mentaya, Sebangau, and Kahayan. Quiet and opportunistic, it alternates between hunting benthos and surface prey. As a paternal mouthbrooder, it is classified as Endangered due to habitat destruction.

Endemic to the headwaters of eastern Borneo, the Howong Betta inhabits clear and well-oxygenated forest streams. It is discreet and opportunistic, hunting close to the substrate and under the surface film. Males mouthbrood the eggs until they hatch.

It is equipped with gills and respiratory organs, so it can breathe underwater or on the surface. In breeding season, it built a nest with viscous bubbles that shelters the eggs. It easily breeds in captivity and there are several farmed species.

It can breathe oxygen from the air, it stays at least half an hour under the surface between two breathes. Its tapered pectoral fins have a tactile and sensory role. Because of its large size, it is not recommended for the aquarium of a specimen.

Endemic to Bangka, the licorice gourami Parosphromenus deissneri lives in slow-moving blackwater streams in wooded peat bogs, where the male guards a cavity-spawned batch. A small fish measuring 3 cm, it is recognizable by the pale band broken into small oval spots located near the edge of the caudal fin.

Its tapered pectoral fins have a tactile and sensorial role. The pair builds a floating nest using agglomerated bubbles in which are laid over 1000 eggs. It easily accommodates to life in the aquarium.