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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/); pulchra: The Latin pulcher means handsome, alluding to the beauty of this fish.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 3.9 - 4.2. Tropical

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Asia: restricted to Pontian, Johor, West Malaysia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 56613)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 1 - 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 1 - 2; Anal soft rays: 22 - 26; Vertebrae: 29. In comparison with other members of the B. pugnax species group, this can be differentiated by the following combination of characters: presence of chin-bar; absence of dark marks below postorbital stripe on opercle; presence of dorsal transverse bars; caudal transverse bars present only in male; greenish iridescent scales on opercle and body; anal fin with red subdistal border and black edge; caudal fin without distal dark edge; anal-fin rays 24-28 (mode 26); lateral scales 28-30 (mode 29); postdorsal scales 10-11 (mode 10); pelvic fin length 29.1-53.2% SL; head length 32.7-37.6% SL; inter-orbital width 34.3-41.8% HL (Ref. 56613).

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Inhabits peat swamp forests (Ref. 84801). Occurs in blackwater habitats and commonly found only in the overgrown bank vegetation of the irrigation canals. Paternal Mouth brooder (Ref. 13220).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Exhibits paternal mouthbrooding habit.

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Tan, H.H. and S.H. Tan, 1996. Redescription of the Malaysian fighting fish Betta pugnax (Teleostei: Belontiidae), and description of Betta pulchra, new species from Peninsular Malaysia. Raffles Bull. Zool. 44(2):419-434. (Ref. 13220)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 17 January 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 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): 3.2 ±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).

Betta pulchra Tan & Tan, 1996