# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Anabantoids >  Betta brownorum of Matang

## kuching

About 20 years ago, Betta brownorum was found in the peat swamp of Matang. Today, the peat swamp of Matang is almost gone due to the development near Kuching city. As the population in this city is increasing, more and more houses are built at Matang. The natural habitat for Betta brownorum is almost gone. I have been exploring in the peat swamp of Matang, for more than 20 times. All these years, I never found Betta brownorum in this degraded peat swamp. 


Nevertheless, about a week ago, I was informed by a fish hobbyist from Kuching that he found Betta brownorum at a blackwater ditch near the roadside. I have been to that location at least 5 times but I never found any Betta brownorum. I thought this guy was joking at me.


To prove me wrong, I went to that location. About 45 minutes later, I was very surprised to catch a female Betta brownorum !!! It was hiding under aquatic plant, Cabomba sp. in the blackwater ditch, near the roadside. And also, I caught Channa bangkanensis for the first time at Matang !!!!


More on this link:

http://www.ibanorum.netfirms.com/brownorumatang.htm



The blackwater ditch. Betta brownorum is found hiding in the submerged grasses on the left side of this ditch. Red Cabomba (Cabomba sp.) is growing abundantly in the water:






Cabomba sp. (probably Cabomba pulcherrima) , this is an introduced species from Central or South America.:





Betta brownorum from Matang!!!





Kottelatlimia pristes - a species of loach. (length = 4.5cm) :

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## Wackytpt

The brownorum look slightly different. Maybe is the colour of the picture

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## Justikanz

Cute loach...

And the water is SO black...

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## cwtan12

From the link, I believe that place should be at some of the small roads off Jalan Matang. I have been to Matang many times trying to catch brownorum but always get Croacking gourami instead. Not even one brownorum was spotted by me. Well done!

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## Wackytpt

> Cute loach...
> 
> And the water is SO black...


perfect for bettas  :Smile:

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## kuching

That place is not the "real" habitat of brownorum....it's unusual to find brownorum at longkang....under the sunlight...somemore water is not 100% clean. Mmmmm....population is extremely LOW. Catch 1 betta for an hour!!!alamak!

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## benny

Could it be a "relocated species" for species protection?

Cheers,

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## XnSdVd

Doesn't water like that only occur in areas with heavy metal pollution? Doesn't look like proper "blackwater" to me...

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## kuching

Water is polluted (not serious) cos got farm houses nearby.

From this trip, I learnt that fish from peat swamp can survive in the blackwater longkang once the peat swamp is "replaced" with secondary forest & rubber plantation(old one).

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## cwtan12

> Water is polluted (not serious) cos got farm houses nearby.
> 
> From this trip, I learnt that fish from peat swamp can survive in the blackwater longkang once the peat swamp is "replaced" with secondary forest & rubber plantation(old one).



this place looks like the place i caught some akarensis before... is there always some lak kia always pick paku nearby? also, after the outlet, is there a culvert? u should be standing on the tarmac road taking pic.

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## kuching

> this place looks like the place i caught some akarensis before... is there always some lak kia always pick paku nearby? also, after the outlet, is there a culvert? u should be standing on the tarmac road taking pic.


no akarensis in Kuching, only ibanorum. akarensis is only found from Brunei until Sibu.

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## kuching

The wild-caught Betta brownorum of my cousin can eat algae pellet!!!  :Smile: 

Below is the pix I took recently. It is waiting that loach to leave.(That loach is eating that algae pellet) It doesn't dare to get too close to that loach (pangio):

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## cwtan12

> no akarensis in Kuching, only ibanorum. akarensis is only found from Brunei until Sibu.


i see... then i must have mistaken the identity..the pics shows those i caught at the road side of Matang Road and Matang Phase II. are those ibanorum?

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## kuching

> i see... then i must have mistaken the identity..the pics shows those i caught at the road side of Matang Road and Matang Phase II. are those ibanorum?


yup, Betta ibanorum. Named after Iban people of Sarawak.

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## na_cheers

hi there, 

well..i'm the one who told kuching bout my finding there...i caught two of them near that spot...also, i caught this channa, most probally channa melasoma,around 25 cm at the swamp nearby.

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## benny

> hi there, 
> 
> well..i'm the one who told kuching bout my finding there...i caught two of them near that spot...also, i caught this channa, most probally channa melasoma,around 25 cm at the swamp nearby.


Ah....another borneo explorer! Welcome to Aquatic Quotient!

You guys have no idea how much we envy your beautiful homeland. Do share more of your explorations with us. Most of the time, we only have concrete jungles to explore. Sigh.........

Cheer,s

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## na_cheers

thanx man,

yeah, i'm lucky borneo is my homeland...anyway..i'm kinda new also...and unfortunately i dont have digi cam rite now...but i'll get one someday so i can share the pics with u guys...

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## Goondoo

> thanx man,
> 
> yeah, i'm lucky borneo is my homeland...anyway..i'm kinda new also...and unfortunately i dont have digi cam rite now...but i'll get one someday so i can share the pics with u guys...


Can we organise a trip there sometime? I'll bring my under water setup....  :Grin:   :Laughing:   :Roll Eyes:   :Wink:

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## na_cheers

err..i havent done scuba yet...i'm more freshwater one

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## kuching

yup, thanks to na cheers, who is the one who first found brownorum there.

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