Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anabantiformes (Gouramies, snakeheads) >
Osphronemidae (Gouramies) > Macropodusinae
Etymology: Betta: Malay/Javanese origin. Bleeker (1850, 1858) indicates Ikan Wadder Bettah as the local name of Betta trifasciata Bleeker, 1849 (now Betta picta, Valenciennes, 1846) in the Ambarawa Javanese dialect. Ikan Wader is a common Javanese name for smaller freshwater fishes, especially cyprinids (already used in Old Javanese). See Blust, R. & Trussel, S. Austronesian Comparative Dictionary. Web Edition (https://www.trussel2.com/acd/).
More on authors: Tan & Kottelat.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
Asia: central Sumatra, Indonesia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 38481)
Dorsal spines (total): 1 - 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 8; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 19 - 21. This species is closely related to Betta picta from Java where it can be distinguished in the following characters: fewer dorsal fin rays (mode 8 vs. 9); fewer lateral scales (mode 27 vs. 28); dorsal fin origin above 11-12th lateral scale (vs. 12-14th); anal fin origin below modal 6th lateral scale (vs. 7th); fewer predorsal scales (mode 19 vs. 20); slightly greater anal-fin base length (46.5-50.3% SL vs. 42.6-48.4); anal and caudal fins with reddish distal band in live male (vs. bluish); iridescent greenish-blue opercle scales (vs. yellow-gold); in preserved specimens, male with distinct dorsal transverse bars (vs. faint); male with distinct dark anal distal margin wide (vs. narrow); male without elongated median caudal fin rays (vs. presence); female with distinct caudal transverse bars (vs. very faint or absent); dorsal head view narrow (vs. broad); thick preorbital black stripe (vs. narrow); and the distance between posterior part of anal fin to lower part of caudal narrow (vs. wide) (Ref. 56386).
Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Typically found among submerged bank vegetation, in near stagnant waters, with pH 4.7-6.8. Latin word falx means scythe, alluding to the continuous curved shape of the broad anal and caudal distal margins of a male in display. Caudal fin rounded.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Tan, H.H. and M. Kottelat, 1998. Redescription of Betta picta (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) and description of B. falx sp. n. from central Sumatra. Rev. Suisse Zool. 105(3):557-568. (Ref. 38481)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00377 - 0.02651), b=2.97 (2.74 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
