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AMAZONAS
Habitat of Betta
the Chao Praya River all the
mahachaiensis. The way to Nonthaburi, about
animals live between the
80 km (50 mi.) inland. The
Nypa palm trees and
Nypa palm is found along all
build their foam nests in
the leaf axils of plants. of these rivers and forms the
habitat of B. mahachaiensis.
The habitats of B. mahachaiensis are periodically
flooded by salt and fresh water. They very rarely dry up
completely. During rainy periods, the swamps are diluted
so much that the residual amount of salt is barely perceptible
at 3 grams per liter (12 g/gal.). Peaking at 13 g/L
(~50 g/gal.), this concentration is tolerated by the fish
only for a short time. The optimum salt concentration
seems to be between 3 and 7 g/L (12–28 g/gal.).
One of us (JK) found a high density of B. mahachaiensis
individuals in freshwater streams near their
inflows into the marsh. In Samut Sakhon there are
freshwater habitats of B. splendens immediately adjacent
to the brackish water habitats of B. mahachaiensis, but no
mixing or hybridization of the species was observed.
Betta mahachaiensis will struggle to survive in the
future, because the known distribution areas are being
swallowed by the giant metropolis of Bangkok. However,
there are other, yet unconfirmed habitats
where this species might be found.
Besides the Samut Sakhon province
already mentioned, these probably include
Samut Songkhram, Samut Prakan,
and the southern parts of Nonthaburi
west of Bangkok, where there are
proven populations. The sporadic finds
in Samut Prakan along the Mae Nam
Chao Phraya south of Bangkok require
confirmation.
Aquarium care
How does B. mahachaiensis differ from
other members of the B. splendens group
in terms of care Do you need to set
up a brackish water aquarium for this
Pair spawning
under the
bubble nest
fish No, not necessarily. One of us (JK) has
already been keeping B. mahachaiensis for about
five years. Some strains are kept permanently in
fresh water without any noticeable impairment.
Any treatment for disease symptoms should
include salt. For prophylaxis, a small amount of
added salt is recommended.
I cannot confirm that the proliferation of
B. mahachaiensis depends on the salt concentration.
The species builds foam nests and spawns
readily in brackish water as well as in fresh
water. These fish seem to react to intermittent
warm and cold periods such as occur in Bangkok;
they go through extremely fertile periods
and then stretches of time when they show no
signs of reproduction. We recommend trying to
breed young adult animals, three to seven months old.
The females in particular have to be sexually mature,
which they indicate with a white genital papilla. You can
set up the aquarium as an underwater jungle with dense
plants, roots, rocks, and clay caves. Many water lilies,
Cabomba, Vallisneria, rushes, Hygrophila, horn ferns, and
mosses tolerate brackish water well.
REFERENCES
Kowasupat, C., B. Panijpan, P. Ruenwongsa, and N. Sriwattanarothai.
2012. Betta mahachaiensis, a new species of bubble-nesting fighting fish
(Teleostei: Osphromenidae) from Samut Sakhon province, Thailand. Zootaxa
3522: 49–62.
Kühne, J. 2010. Salzwasserkampffische. Aquaristik Fachmagazin 216:
40–46.
Panitvong, N. 2002. Old article resurrection: Betta sp. Mahachai by Nonn,
April 2002. www.siamensis.org/article/6602.
Sriwattanarothai, N. et al. 2010. Molecular and morphological evidence
supports the species status of the Mahachai fighter Betta sp. Mahachai
and reveals new species of Betta from Thailand. J Fish Biol 77 (2): 414–24.
Sriwattanarothai, N. et al. 2012. Saltwater fighting fish or “Is it too late for
species mahachai” Labyrinth, Newsletter of the Anabantoid Association of
Great Britain 168: 2–11.
J. KÜHNE
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