Professional Documents
Culture Documents
161 Betta PDF
161 Betta PDF
*Note that the genus name is pronounced “beh’-tuh” (hear the pronunciation at
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/betta), not “bay’-tuh” (compare with the pronunciation of the Greek
letter β here: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/beta) Bet is Latin for “beet”; the taxonomist
describing the fish may have been referring to the fish’s bright color).
Betta Behavior-1
Wild Betta splendens are colorful and sexually dimorphic (i.e., males and females
look different from one another), with males being more brightly colored than females
(Figure BB-1). Because of their attractive colors and interesting behaviors, this species
has been subject to many years of artificial selection (particularly the males) for mutant
color morphs and very long fins and tails. Despite the domestic variety's showier
appearance (Figure BB-2), its courtship and other intraspecific displays have remained
relatively unchanged. Both wild and domestic Betta splendens will react strongly and
aggressively to the appearance of another fish of the same species.
Figure BB-1. Wild type Betta splendens male (left) and female (right). The male is
fanning his fins and tail in the beginnings of an agonistic (aggressive) display.
Figure BB-2. Artificially selected Betta splendens males showing various mutant
color morphs and fin morphologies. The fish in the upper lefthand corner and
lower righthand corner are not displaying. All other fish shown are engaging in
agonistic displays of varying intensity.
Betta Behavior-2
II. Natural History of Betta splendens
Betta splendens (Family Belontiidae) commonly known as the "Siamese
Fighting Fish" is native to tropical Southeast Asia including the northern Malay
Peninsula, central and eastern Thailand, Kampuchea, and southern Vietnam
(Witte and Schmidt 1992). They live and breed in rice paddies, shallow ponds,
and slow-moving streams, and are known for their ability to survive in rather fetid,
oxygen-poor water by gulping air from the surface, when necessary.
Adult males reach a total length of about 7cm, and females are slightly
smaller. Cultivated Bettas have been artificially selected for many decades so
that the "domesticated" males are characterized by colorful pigmentation and
long, showy fins. Females are slightly smaller, less brightly colored, and have
shorter fins than males.
Bettas thrive best in water that is close to neutral in pH (6.8 – 7.4), at a cozy
tropical temperature (75-86oF; 24-30oC). Although they can survive in oxygen-
depleted water by breathing from the surface, like all fish, they suffer less stress
when their water is clean and rich in oxygen that they can breathe by drawing
water into the mouth and across the gills by opening of the bony opercula that
cover the gills.
Bettas are popular as aquarium fish because of their spectacular colors, and
because they are relatively easy to keep and breed. They appear to thrive
comfortably (long term) in a volume as small as 3 gallons of water (Although
Bettas can survive in the very small bowls (16 oz.) in which one often sees them
displayed, it's arguable that such a small, unenriched environment is optimal for
long term survival and health.), and when living in an appropriate, stress-free
environment, will breed. Males build a nest of mucus-coated bubbles on the
surface of the water, and as the eggs laid by the female hatch, he will carry each
hatchling to the nest in his mouth and spit it into the nest. Hatchlings grow in
relative safety in their bubble environment, guarded by the male.
Every experienced aquarium hobbyist knows that only one male Betta can
occupy an aquarium at a time. The males are extremely aggressive towards
males of their own species (though they are total wimps when attacked by a
different species, and tend to get their beautiful fins picked to shreds in a
"community" aquarium), and will readily fight to complete exhaustion. When
fighting, males will nip at each others fins until one of them is too tired to
continue, though this usually takes long enough so that the fins of both
combatants resemble torn up rags by the time one of the fish concedes defeat by
retreating.
Betta Behavior-3
the display behaviors exhibited by male animals when they compete for mating
opportunities with females.
Male Bettas may fight to claim territory, or to protect their eggs or offspring
from rival males. But physical combat is invariably preceded by a display
sometimes called "flaring." When stimulated by the sight of a rival male (the
releaser), a male Betta will exhibit several types of genetically determined
aggressive movements (fixed action patterns). The fish will spread his fins,
shudder his body, extend his gill opercula and membranes, and generally appear
much larger than his resting size. Bettas do not recognize themselves in a
mirror, and will display to their reflections as aggressively as they might to
another male.
Betta Behavior-4
1. Which fins or other structures does the fish use for display?
2. What position does the fish assume with respect to its reflection (head-on?
sidelong?)
3. What other movements or behaviors does the fish employ in his display?
CAUTION: If the fish is over-stimulated, habituation to the stimulus will occur. This
means that the animal has become accustomed to the stimulus, and will not respond as
strongly (or respond at all) in subsequent trials. When you are not measuring your fish's
display, be sure he cannot see his reflection or other males. Keep the fish as relaxed
as possible in between trials, and when you are completely finished with your
experiment, be sure to replace the visual barriers on the fish bowls.
Question:
Null Hypothesis:
Alternative Hypothesis:
Betta Behavior-5
Use the space below to describe the methods you will use to test your hypotheses.
Include the type of statistical test you will use to analyze your data.
Control:
What statistical test will you employ to analyze your results, and why is it appropriate?
When all teams have decided on their experiments and finished the outline of the
design, each team should take five minutes to briefly explain to their
colleagues/classmates what they intend to do, and why. Critique from the TA and from
classmates should be used to fine tune the experiment and make final changes before
the experiment is actually performed.
Betta Behavior-6
General Instructions for a Successful Experiment
1. Some individual fish are particularly sensitive or aggressive, and these may
be stimulated even by the sight of brightly colored or patterned clothing. Avoid
wearing such clothing to lab this week. Pale-colored clothing is the least likely to
interfere with fish behavior.
2. Position your fish where it cannot see neighboring animals until you are ready
to begin your experiment. Keep the visual barriers in place unless you are
actually making observations of fish behavior.
3. Avoid abrupt movements when near the fish, and speak quietly. Do not tap
on the side of the fish bowl.
4. When recording the positions and movements of your Betta's display, note
that the male will employ most of its fins, its gill opercula, and the associated
branchiostegal membrane. A particularly energetic male may bend his body in
tight angles. Note the orientation of the fish to its stimulus and record any
changes in the coloration of your fish (for example, watch for color to fade or
become brighter, or for color streaks to appear on various areas of the body.
5. Be sure to record the length of time of each behavior you are recording, as
well as its subjective aspects (for example, you might rate the strength of the
display ("-" for weak, "+" for medium, "++" for strong—or variations on that
theme, perhaps using numbers to rank degree of energy shown by the fish.) Do
not stimulate the fish for longer than one minute for each trial, as longer trials
may result in habituation to the stimulus.
6. Wait least 5 minutes between trials, allowing the fish to calm down
completely. Between trials, be sure to block your subject's view of other fish, and
avoid fast movements or loud noises. (Yes, they can hear them!)
7. It may be helpful to record the sequence of movements the fish uses in a full
display.
8. Replicate each trial at least 3 times. Note any differences between replicates.
What might cause such differences as time goes on?
9. Paper fish models will also elicit a response from males, but because they are
stationery, they will not elicit as strong a response. However, the subject will also
not habituate as quickly to a static model as to a mirror (why might this be the
case?)
10. When using a paper model, move it slowly up to the subject and then wave it
slightly to attract the subject's attention. Try to use similar technique and
movement in each trial, to avoid introducing human error into your experiment.
11. Obviously, male Bettas will respond strongly to the sight of another member
of its own species, whether male or female. You may wish to measure the
responses of your fish to same sex or different sex stimulus, and quantify the
differences between the displays. The question, hypotheses and predictions are
up to you!
12. Determining the relative aggressiveness of different animals can be done by
comparing displays recorded by different teams with different animals.
Betta Behavior-7
You may use Table BB-1 below to record your data any way you wish, or make a
different table of your own design. Be sure to note in the table legend (which you will
provide) what you are measuring (nonparametric, such as "yes" or "no", or parametric,
such as "seconds" or other discrete or continuous measurement) as well as their
values.
Table BB.1.
Betta Behavior-8
be the effect of such chemicals on the behavior of wild populations of animals that
use agonistic display as part of mating ritual? How might you design an experiment
to test your ideas about this?
7. What other environmental factors might affect the agonistic display of Betta
splendens? Of what evolutionary or ecological significance are these factors?
Feel free to cite outside sources, and go beyond the lab manual for ideas about your
experiment and observations. But don't forget to cite all your sources properly and
include your references at the end of your presentation, or in the slide in which you are
citing that source.
Adopt-a-Fish!
The fish being used in today’s laboratory will be available for adoption after all the
lab experiments have been completed at the end of the week. If you would like to adopt
a Betta splendens for your very own, you will need the following:
Note that even females will fight and bully one another if they do not have sufficient
space to get away, so unless you have a very large, community tank, you must have a
separate vessel and supplies for each fish you adopt. Betta splendens is beautiful and
relatively easy to keep, but this species does require specific care. Please read about
care information before you adopt:
http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_care.htm
http://care.betta-fish.com.ar/
http://www.bettacentral.com/care.htm
Betta Behavior-9