Additional Information on the Siamese Fighting Fish 

Social Structure- 

Live in packs or solo- solo, very territorial 

Roles within community- no community unless mating and laying/protecting eggs

Male or Female led groups- No groups 

Individuals that make up the group- Siamese Fighting fish lead solitary lives expect when preparing to mate and mating. 

How do they interact with each other- Typically react with extreme aggression and territorial behaviors 

Reproduction- 

How often do they mate- Can mate about once a month 

How many mates do they have- Typically only one per spawn. It takes time to reproduce eggs 

Time of year for mating- no specific time of year that they mate 

Mating rituals- Male bettas will create bubble nests when ready to mate, by gathering bubbles in his mouth and transporting them to a corner. These typically take 12-24 hours to complete, and after they are done a female will come and lay her eggs on the nest. Before she does though, the male will “dance” around her to entice her to choose his bubble nest. After she lays her eggs, the male chases her off and guards his offspring with his life. 

Number of offspring produces at a time- 40 to 50 per spawn 

Any unique characteristics of their mating- The female does not stay with the eggs, and the male will fight intruders to death in protection of his bubble nest 

Development- 

Stages of development- 1) Fertilized egg 2) Collectively, the tiny fish are called a fry until about five weeks old 3) adolescent until 11 weeks, when bettas are fully mature 

How old before sexual maturity- Around three months of age, and then they are considered an adult 

Activities and environment of stages- Fry stays closer to the surface of the water (typically stagnant) for the first two months of their lives. After that, they can swim to deeper water. 

Difference between males and females- Females have an ovipositor tube on the underside of their bellies. Note: in some captive bred betta, males can develop a faux ovipositor tube. Male betta are often larger and release milt around the laid eggs to fertilize them. 

As seen above: 

Top left- mating dance in captive betta 

Bottom left- bubble nest

Right- bubble nest with eggs