# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Anabantoids >  ID Betta

## |squee|

Looks to me very much like _Betta splendens_. Uncle from c328 told me it's from Thailand  :Roll Eyes:

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## Justikanz

Isn't the original _Betta spendens_ from Thailand??

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## |squee|

I sure hope it isn't, because I paid $14 for it.  :Sad:

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## hwchoy

well what were you expecting it to be? there are only a few species of _Betta_ from Thailand. In fact if you can find a certifiable WILD _B. splendens_ it will be priceless.

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## MrTree

More like a _B.smaragdina_ hybrid

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## |squee|

> well what were you expecting it to be?


 :Grin:  I just wanted to know. 

Thanks though guys!

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## hwchoy

you should go and ask for your $14 back!

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## |squee|

:Grin:  But it's such a beautiful specimen. It's time I stopped a little on plants and focus back on fish-keeping... it was the betta that captivated me into this hobby!

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## Justikanz

Could it be a _Betta imbellis_?

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## hwchoy

when buying, especially paying quite a bit, for Thai _Betta_ species, buy only from shops who specialise and knows the breeder of the fish. Too many aquarium strains and hybrids around. I mean if you like hybrids that's OK, but surely you don't want to pay the price of a "species" for hybrids.

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## MrTree

> Could it be a _Betta imbellis_?


anal fin too long, maybe have _B.imbellis_ blood but who knows.

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## Nina

Betta splendens is what that is great species.
why did you pay 14.00 for it when yuu could have got it for 4..

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## hwchoy

it doesn't look like a pure splendens strain either. most likely a smaragdina/splendens hybrid that's why they sell it as a novelty.

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## |squee|

Yes I know, but I bought it anyway because it looked nice to me. The picture doesn't do it justice, there're some colours and patterns on the finnage that wasn't captured.

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## Justikanz

Well, as long as you find it pretty and well worth the money, its ok.  :Smile:

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## firethorn

Is there such a thing as wild Betta Splendens?

I believe the Betta Splenden was created via cross breeding with the ugly original betta.

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## hwchoy

> Is there such a thing as wild Betta Splendens?
> 
> I believe the Betta Splenden was created via cross breeding with the ugly original betta.



of course there is such a thing as wild _Betta splendens_, why do you think it has a latin name? have you wondered why your parrot fish, luohans, and strange cichlids have no latin names?

have you seen an "original" "betta"? what makes you think it is ugly? do you even have an idea what is an "original betta"?

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## firethorn

> of course there is such a thing as wild _Betta splendens_, why do you think it has a latin name? have you wondered why your parrot fish, luohans, and strange cichlids have no latin names?
> 
> have you seen an "original" "betta"? what makes you think it is ugly? do you even have an idea what is an "original betta"?


Dear sir what are you being so hostile?

I was confused with an article suggesting Betta Pugnax being the original Betta and the Splenden Species being a hybridization between similar Betta genus.

That being said, I have seen an original Betta Splenden. As well as Betta Pugnax. A very ugly version with pale and patchy skin albeit.

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## hwchoy

> Dear sir what are you being so hostile?
> 
> I was confused with an article suggesting Betta Pugnax being the original Betta and the Splenden Species being a hybridization between similar Betta genus.
> 
> That being said, I have seen an original Betta Splenden. As well as Betta Pugnax. A very ugly version with pale and patchy skin albeit.



I am hoping there is an aquarist under the ignorance. being ignorant is not wrong, nobody knows everything, but I want to know if you are truly interested in them, or only interested in repeating what you have read or heard.

I can assure you, you have been fed misinformation. I am also quite sure you have not seen an "original" _Betta splendens_ (note how the word splendens is never capitalised?). and quite definitely, the _B. pugnax_ (note how pugnax is also never capitalised) you saw is not in the best of health.

If you are truly interested in knowing why I am so sure, then I am happy to welcome you to the wonderful world of "real" _Betta_, beyond the crowntails and halfmoons.

ps: I am not really hostile, consider it a hard nudge  :Razz:

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## firethorn

> I am hoping there is an aquarist under the ignorance. being ignorant is not wrong, nobody knows everything, but I want to know if you are truly interested in them, or only interested in repeating what you have read or heard.
> 
> I can assure you, you have been fed misinformation. I am also quite sure you have not seen an "original" _Betta splendens_ (note how the word splendens is never capitalised?). and quite definitely, the _B. pugnax_ (note how pugnax is also never capitalised) you saw is not in the best of health.
> 
> If you are truly interested in knowing why I am so sure, then I am happy to welcome you to the wonderful world of "real" _Betta_, beyond the crowntails and halfmoons.
> 
> ps: I am not really hostile, consider it a hard nudge


I know that for all Latin names, the first letter of the Genus begins with a capital and the rest are small. But I like writing them both in caps because it sort of puts the words as one.. :P

Perhaps I have not seen an original _Betta splendens_. But i sure did see one that looked the way it was described in an article..

My favourite types of bettas when I was young was the pale ugly looking _Betta splendens_ that were good fighters if you want to know. I have since moved on though. Because I have a project to produce pretty bettas for frenss and family for Christmas..

I'm sure you and perhaps I and maybe even the whole community here can appreciate the true _Betta splendens_ whatever it may be(if it so happens that I've never seen it before) but... Normal people only see what they see. Pretty is pretty. Ugly is ugly.

So forgive me if I do breed pretty bettas.

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## hwchoy

try not to confuse other people who don't know how to write latin names. when you write them both in caps it has a different meaning.

I'm fine if you like to breed fancy betta, but do you want to see other bettas?

also I would urge you to be discerning when reading articles.

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## firethorn

> try not to confuse other people who don't know how to write latin names. when you write them both in caps it has a different meaning.
> 
> I'm fine if you like to breed fancy betta, but do you want to see other bettas?
> 
> also I would urge you to be discerning when reading articles.


Good point.. _Betta splendens_.. haha

Sure I want to see other bettas.. Got any mouthbrooders? That I really want to see...

I know la about discernment la.. whaahah.. Just got carried away because was so shocked that they looked so different esp since I thought... you know.. hahaha

Heng you tell me now.. Just over a week since I read the article.. if over a month it becomes like the Bible to me.. wahahaha

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## hwchoy

> Good point.. Betta splenden.. haha
> 
> Sure I wanna see other bettas.. Got any mouthbrooders? That I really wanna see...
> 
> I noe la about discernment la.. whaahah.. Just got carried away cuz was so shocked that they looked so different esp since I tot... u noe.. hahaha
> 
> Heng u tell me now.. Just over a week since I read the article.. if over a month it becomes like the Bible to me.. wahahaha



any fish that is bred for the aquarium trade, tend to look vastly different from the wild lineage. not just fishes but also plants, and even domesticated animals like chicken. Have you seen a Red Jungle Fowl, the ancestor of the domestic chicken? There's one in Sungei Buloh Wetlands, hangs out at the visitor centre all the time.

remember your longkang guppy? they look like your fancy guppy? same thing, people like to make wild animals into something "weird and wonderful". the longkang guppies are escaped fancy guppies, and they have reverted to their wild form.

There is a healthy wild _Betta_ hobby body in Singapore. You might be amazed to know there are something like 30 species of _Betta_, and only 4 occurs in Thailand. Most of the _Betta_ diversity is in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo, what we call the Greater Sunda region. Some of the wild _Betta_ costs a lot more than the fancy stuff.

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## |squee|

Right. I've got my tentative Betta ID. 

Thanks guys! Topic over...

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## firethorn

> There is a healthy wild _Betta_ hobby body in Singapore. You might be amazed to know there are something like 30 species of _Betta_, and only 4 occurs in Thailand. Most of the _Betta_ diversity is in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo, what we call the Greater Sunda region. Some of the wild _Betta_ costs a lot more than the fancy stuff.


yea.. i am surprised.. lol..

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## budak

Firethorn, with some 60 and still counting (if I am not wrong) wild betta species found throughout Southeast Asia (many of which more than rival fancy Betta splendens strains in finnage and colour - not that the plainer ones are 'ugly'), I think you should expose yourself to the fishes before passing value judgements and assuming an 'expert' stance.

Have a look at the species here:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v81/Mr...%20Fish/Betta/
http://www.ibc-smp.org/species/index.html
http://rva.jp/labyrinth/3.htm

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## hwchoy

> yea.. i am surprised.. lol..


aren't you just glad you have discovered your ignorance?

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## firethorn

I don't think I'm an expert...

And I don't think it's ignorance so much as lack of knowledge.


Be kind to those willing to learn..

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## hwchoy

> Be kind to those willing to learn..



don't you know, we're still waiting.

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## firethorn

waiting? for what?

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## Justikanz

Firethorn, please behave yourself in AQ. 

Your concept of beauty is, afterall, your concept of beauty. As they said, beauty is to the eye of the beholder. To me, a wild _Betta splendens_ (Yes, I HAVE corrected your purposeful misspellings) is as pretty as an aquarium strain. You could have hurt some people who really love certain things by opening condeming them as 'ugly'. It is a strong word to use.

To add on, as you might had noticed, AQ is an international forum, though based in Singapore, and we discourage the use of SMS languages and unnecessary short forms or purposeful misspellings. Please refrain from using them when posting. AQ does not have a maximum number of characters in a post and as such, there is no need to resort to posting in SMS languages etc. 

Refer to http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=19268 for a list of appropriate and common abbreviations and terms used in AQ

Further to Squee's request. This thread is closed.

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