Additional Information on the Siamese Fighting Fish 

Causes of death- 

Predation- There are not many animals that prey on wild Siamese Fighting Fish, but sone species of birds and domestic cats will hunt them (in captivity mostly) 

Sexual Competition- Males will fight each other for territory that have females in them, and it can be fatal  

Disease-  Fin and Tail Rot, Columnaris, Hemorrhagic, Dropsy, Pop Eye, Eyecloud, Mouth Fungus, Furunculosis, Fish Fungus, Velvet, Ich, Anchor Worms, Hole in the Head, Swim Bladder Disorder, Betta Tumors (Note: these are most common in captive betta) 

Other causes- drought, prey population decline, invasive species boom

Competition- 

Inter-species –  Yes, in the wild Siamese fighting fish are extremely territorial and aggressive. If a male finds another female or male in their territory, they will kill the intruder 

Intra-species – Betta have been known to fight other fish in their territory. There are more documented cases of this in captivity, when betta are housed with goldfish, neon tetra, or nearly any other smaller and non-bottom swimming fish 

What do they compete over- Mates, food, and territory 

Affect of invasive species- Less food resources, territory, or mates

IUCN Rating- 

What is the rating? Vulnerable 

Population- No specific number found for wild betta, but due to human impacts populations have been steadily decreasing 

Population Trend- decreasing 

Impact of Humans- 

What impacts have occurred- Warming of the climate, meaning less bodies of water for betta to inhabit, as well as deforestation and housing development, which means loss of habitat and resources for the Siamese Fighting Fish. Pollution has a wide range of affects on Siamese fighting fish. Also, betta are being poached everyday to be bred in captivity. 

Potential Future impacts- Unless we make immediate and drastic changes to our approach on global warming, the impacts will worsen

How long have humans been interacting with species- The first documented case of betta domestication appeared in 1927 when Frank Locke 

Efforts being made to minimize impacts- Most of the efforts do not have betta in mind specifically, but there are organizations created to negate the effects of climate change and habitat loss for certain species; by association, This would also help the Siamese Fighting fish