Species: Betta Splendens
Common names: Betta, Siamese Fighting Fish
Region of origin: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia
Habitat: standing water, including rice paddies and floodplains
Special Characteristics: Bettas are members of the gourami family. In addition to gills, they possess a lung-like "labyrinth" organ, which enables them to derive some of their oxygen from the air. They are adapted to living in shallow, stagnant, oxygen-poor water. As a result, they are often kept as pets because they are able to live in small, un-filtered containers.
Male bettas are agressive toward members of their own species, and will challenge other males on sight. While wild bettas typically fight only briefly before one gives up and swims away, domesticated bettas were bred specifically for fighting, and will continue their combat for longer periods. Such battles are rarely to the death, but if their wounds become infected, they can be fatal.
Betta mating behavior is fairly violent as well. After building a nest of bubbles with a mucous-like substance he produces, the male lures a female to the nest with a show of vibrant colors and spread fins. Once there, he wraps his body around hers, literally squeezing the eggs from her ova. He then fertilizes them, scoops them into his mouth and spits them into the nest.
When mating is finished, the male chases the female away and tends to the nest himself, shepherding his offspring back into the nest when they escape, until the young are able to fend for themselves.
To learn more, visit Wikipedia.org.