Siamese Fighting Fish ( Bettas Fighter) originate in the tropics of SE Asia, Thailand, Bangkok and parts of Vietnam. They were originally used for gambling in Thailand when 2 male fish would be put together to fight, sometimes to the death, with gamblers betting on which fish would dominate.

In Thailand, the fish has been raised in households since the Sukhothai Period, more than 700 years ago. Records from the reign of King Lithai of Sukhothai allude to fighting fish being reared for sport.

 In 1840, the King of Siam presented several of his prized fighting fish to a friend of Theodor Cantor, and he, in turn, gave them to Cantor, a doctor in the Bengal Medical Service.

In 1849, Cantor published an article on the fighting fish he called Macropodus pugnax, var. It was not until 1909 that C. Tate Regan re-examined this and noted that pugnax was already a distinct species. Since the fish had no scientific name, Regan named it Betta splendens, according to Gene Wolfsheimer, author of Enjoy the Fighting Fish of Siam.

In 1909, our finned friends change names when Mr. Tate Regan pointed out that there were already a specie called Macropodus Pugnax, hence the need for a new name. Regan came up with Betta Splendens.

Wild Betta Splendens are green/brown with red fins in a plakat (short-tailed) shape. These wild types are found in wide rice paddies in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. Although shallow (between 3-6" (7.6-15.2cm) depending on season) these are very wide bodies of water, meaning the theory that Bettas live in puddles is completely untrue especially in the dry season where they live in puddles that are still connected.

Bettas Fighter are curious creatures. They enjoy exploring every nook and cranny of their tanks. They appreciate live plants and caves to swim around and through. You may notice they will sit on, lean on, or "claim" an object. They are quite peaceful and will get along with most other fish which are not fin nippers or that look like them. Bettas will flare out the sides of their faces to warn other fish not to mess with them or if they see an object that they mistake for another Betta.