Betta mahachaiensis
A brackish-tolerant bubble-nesting betta from Thailand, critically endangered.
Betta mahachaiensis is a species of bubble-nesting betta native to Thailand, where it occurs naturally near the Gulf of Thailand. It is notable for being the only fish in the genus Betta capable of living in both fresh water and brackish water, with salinity levels between 1.1 and 10.6 parts per thousand. The species is critically endangered according to the IUCN red list and is found in the aquarium trade.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Betta
- Species
- mahachaiensis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Betta mahachaiensis was discovered in 2012 by a team of biologists from Thailand led by Dr. Bhinyo Panijpan's Mahidol University research group, with PhD candidate Mr. Chanon Kowasupat. It was found in the province of Samut Sakhon in Thailand, and its specific name is a derivation of the well-known Thai name for the sub-district. It can also be found in western Bangkok and a small area in Samut Prakan province. The species is typically seen in stagnant waters in swamps, pools, and ponds, and occurs naturally near the Gulf of Thailand in brackish waters. As a labyrinth fish, Betta mahachaiensis has a pair of suprabranchial chambers that each house an air-breathing organ known as the labyrinth organ, a complex bony structure lined with thin, highly vascularised respiratory epithelium, allowing it to extract oxygen from air. Male individuals are distinguished from species such as Betta splendens by iridescent green-blue stripes on a brown-black background. The main key character for classification from other members in the B. splendens complex is the absence of the red bar on the opercular membrane, making it completely black, observed and discovered by Chanon Kowasupat in the laboratory mentioned in the publication.
Reader's Guide
Betta mahachaiensis holds significance as the only known member of the genus Betta capable of living in both fresh water and brackish water, a unique trait among its relatives. Its discovery in 2012 by a team from Mahidol University, led by Dr. Bhinyo Panijpan and including PhD candidate Chanon Kowasupat, added a new species to the bubble-nesting betta group. The species is found in specific regions of Thailand, including Samut Sakhon, western Bangkok, and Samut Prakan province, typically in stagnant brackish waters near the Gulf of Thailand. The publication describing it, 'Betta mahachaiensis, a new species of bubble-nesting fighting fish (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) from Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand,' was the most-accessed paper of 2012 in the journal Zootaxa, with 15,184 accesses. Its critically endangered status on the IUCN red list underscores the need for conservation. In the aquarium trade, it is valued for its distinctive appearance, with males showing iridescent green-blue stripes on a brown-black background and a completely black opercular membrane lacking the red bar seen in related species. The labyrinth organ allows it to breathe air, an adaptation to its stagnant water habitats.
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