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This species was first imported for the aquarium hobby during the 1950s and was for many years misidentified and traded as Bedotia geayi, a valid, but different-looking congener native to the Mananjary River system, south of the range of B. madagascarensis. In terms of external characters, the two are most easily told apart by differences in colour pattern, particularly that of the unpaired fins, and some morphometric counts.

This species is also referred to by the vernacular name 'Malay combtail'. In terms of external characters it differs most obviously from its only congener, B. signata by its overal brownish grey (vs. reddish) body colouration and presence of a mosaic-type patterning in the unpaired fins (vs. absence). The position of relatedness of the genus Belontia with respect to other anabantoids remains somewhat...

This species is also traded/referred to by the vernacular name 'Ceylon fighting fish'. It differs from its only congener, B. hasselti, by its overall reddish (vs. brownish-grey) body colouration, and absence (vs. presence) of a mosaic-like patterning in the unpaired fins. At least three putative phenotypes have been recorded. The nominative, and commonest, mostly inhabits clear streams in rainier zones...

As far as we know this species is yet to arrive to the international aquarium trade though it has been maintained by a handful of Indian aquarists. It's restricted geographical range and difficulty of collection mean it's unlikely to become available in numbers unless adopted by commercial breeders.

Like others in the suborder Anabantoidei this species possesses an accessory breathing organ known as the labyrinth. So-called due to its maze-like structure this organ allows the fish to breathe atmospheric air to a certain extent. Comprising paired suprabranchial organs formed via expansion of the epibranchial (upper) section of the first gill arch and housed in a chamber above the gills, it contains...

Additonally, fin patterning in B. albimarginata, except the pectoral fins, consists of a broad white distal band, broad dark submarginal band with sharp outer margin and less sharp inner margin, and a plain red inner portion, while in B. channoides the dorsal fin is almost entirely red with only a thin white distal band and the dark submarginal band in the caudal fin does not extend into the uppermost portion of the fin. Base body colouration tends towards a brick-red shade in displaying male B. albimarginata, scarlet in B. channoides (pers. obv.).

The genus Betta is the most speciose within the family Osphronemidae with almost 70 recognised members and looks set to grow further with new ones continuing to be described on a regular basis since the turn of the century. Member species have successfully adapted to inhabit a variety of ecological niches from stagnant ditches to flowing hill streams including some extreme environments such as highly acidic peat swamp forests.

Likely to prey on insects and other small invertebrates/zooplankton in nature. Captive fish will normally accept dried products once they're recognised as edible, but should be offered plenty of small live or frozen foods such as Daphnia, Artemia or bloodworm regularly to ensure development of optimal colour and condition. Small insects such as crickets or Drosophila fru...

This species lends it name to the B. bellica group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage of which members share the following set of characters: long and slender body with dorsal and ventral margins almost parallel; body depth 23-28 % SL; 30-33 anal-fin rays; 11-13 dorsal-fin rays; 32-34 total vertebrae; body dark brown in colour with iridescent green markings on each individual scale.

B. brownorum is included in the Betta coccina group/complex of closely-related species within the genus. This assemblage mostly comprises small, red-coloured fishes with the exceptions of B. persephone and B. miniopinna which are darkish. Identifying some of the red ones correctly is not always easy as the patterning in them can be both similar and confusingly variable. In B. brownorum and B. livida, for example, both male and female individuals may or may not possess a green lateral blotch.

B. burdigala is exceptionally rare in the hobby with many fishes traded or pictured as such being B. uberis or other congener. It's included in the Betta coccina group/complex of closely-related species within the genus. This assemblage mostly comprises small, red-coloured fishes with the exceptions of B. persephone and B. miniopinna which are darkish. Identifying some of the red ones correctly is not always easy as the patterning in them can be both similar and confusingly variable.

B. channoides and B. albimarginata together comprise the Betta albimarginata group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, these differing from all other members of the genus in colour pattern and by possession of 9-12 anal-fin spines (vs. 0-4). They look very similar to one another but differ in the following characters: anal fin spines 9-11 in B. albimarginata vs. 12 in B. channoides; anal fin rays 21-23 vs. 23-25; lateral scale rows 26-27 vs. 27.5-28; trans...

B. chloropharynx is included in the Betta waseri group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage which also includes a handful of potentially new species such as B. sp. 'Medas' on an unofficial basis. The easiest way to distinguish these is by examining the throat markings which vary according to species. In this case the lighter of these form a shape that roughly resembles a horizontal figure of ei...

B. coccina can be told apart from other members by the following combination of characters: iridescent green lateral blotch present in male, absent in female; body dark red in colour; no parallel vertical iridescent gold opercle bars; pelvic fin falcate with black filamentous tip, remainder red; median fins with discrete iridescent green spots; dorsal fin-rays 9-12; anal-fin rays 27-29; subdorsal scales 7-8; lateral scales 31-32; predorsal scales 18-21. The genus Betta is the most speciose within the family Osphronemidae with almost 70 reco...

The type locality is a stream in a forest swamp with dense growth of Barclaya motleyi at intervals, part of which had been turned over to cultivation of rubber trees in 1997. The water depth varied between 5-80 cm, pH was 5.8 and syntopic species included 'Puntius' banksi, Rasbora einthoveni, Trigonopoma pauciperforatum, Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus, Betta pugnax, Sphaerichthys osphromenoides, Trichogaster trichopterus, Channa gachua and C. lucius.

This species is available in the aquarium hobby but is not traded in large numbers and may have been inadvertently hybridised with the similar-looking congener B. rubra prior to its description since they're typically exported mixed together. It's included in the B. rubra group of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage erected by Schindler and van der Voort (2012) who...

This species is often confused with B. krataios in the aquarium trade, the latter having been known as B. sp. 'Kapuas' prior to description. The two can easily be told apart as the caudal-fin is rounded in B. krataios but spade-shaped and in adults, highly-extended in B. dimidiata. Together these two comprise the B. dimidiata group of closely-related species within the gen...

This species is the only member of the B. edithae group within the genus, and separated from all other Betta spp. by the fact that the branchiostegal membrane and posterior portion of the opercle are opaque or translucent. The original diagnosis by Vierke also states that it has relatively small eyes and short fins with a typical pattern of partial barring.

This species is included in the B. pugnax complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage of which members are notoriously difficult to tell apart from one another, but which can be characterised collectively by the following set of shared characters: relatively large head measuring 28-40% SL; live colouration usually brown with green or blue iridescent spots; male with similarly-coloured scales on opercle, sometimes extending to abdomen; juveniles and females usually brown with two central body stripes and a dark marking on the caudal peduncle; anal-fin in mature specimens pointed and often elongated; caudal-fin lanceolate.

B. falx is included in the Betta picta group/complex of closely-related species within the genus, an assemblage comprising species with the following shared characters: unpaired fins rounded (anal-fin sometimes tapering to a blunt point); anal-fin rays I-III, 18-24; dark marginal band on anal and caudal fins, more pronounced in mature males; presence of pre-orbital and post-orbital stripes; presence of chin bar on throat; iridescent green, gold, or blue scales on opercle.