Page 58 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

58 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

fish – but it’s the males who are the real brawlers.They are
Siamese fighting fish habitats
so aggressive that, in captivity, two males can’t be kept in
the same tank.They will also attack other species of fish
and will even try to fight their own reflections. In fact,
they exhibit stress symptoms when these mirror intruders
can’t be chased away!
If a male fighting fish spots a rival straying into his
territory, then it’s all-out war. Combat begins with the
usual display behaviour.The attacking male will rush at the
intruder, fanning his fins and splaying out his gill covers to
make himself look as big and as intimidating as possible. If
threats fail, a flurry of attacks follow.The mouths of bettas
are full of rows of tiny, pointed teeth, and rivals will bite
each other’s fins, jaws and bodies until one fish finally gives
up and swims away to nurse his wounds.

Air and water
Naturally, Siamese fighting fish are found in a variety of
There’s nothing male Siamese fighting fish (also known as habitats.They originate in Thailand (which was formerly
‘bettas’) love more than a good ruckus! These beautifully called Siam, hence their name), and are also found in
iridescent fish may be small, but they’re fiercely territorial Indonesia, Malaysia,Vietnam and parts of China.They
and fights between rival males can be very bloody affairs. seem to prefer ponds and slow-moving streams, and their
In nature, it’s usually the job of the male to attract a preference for shallow waters has made them popular pest
mate and, in order to do so, he must prove his prowess. controllers.They are often released into rice paddies,
Ritual displays are part of that process.Typically, these are where they’re happy in the shallows, gulping down insects
highly stylized combats that rarely end in injury.The aim and insect larvae.
is to frighten off a rival rather than to wound or kill him, Unlike most fish, fighting fish can tolerate waters that are
and threats and intimidation usually do the trick. Siamese choked with thick vegetation, and have a very low oxygen
fighting fish are unusual in that males and females are both content.They are able to do this because they have an
extremely combative. Females often display to other unusual extra organ.Within the fish world, there are some
females to establish their status and determine who is top very strange and specialized species.There are fish that can

To prepare for mating, male fighting fish make a ‘bubble nest’ When the female is ready to spawn (lay her eggs), she
on the water’s surface, using sticky, mucus-coated bubbles. approaches the nest, and an energetic courtship dance ensues.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.