Fighting Fish

Siamese fighting fish, or Betta splendens, come in a great variety of ravishing colours, so it’s not difficult to see why they are popular aquarium fish. I used to keep them myself. They swim with all the grace of a virtuoso ballet dancer, but don’t be deceived.

Because the males are so aggressive, it is illegal to put them together in the same tank.

If this were to happen they would turn on each other and one of them would almost certainly be killed.

In the wild, fights between two males only last a few minutes before one of the fish backs off. But in a confined space they can carry on for hours and cause severe damage to each other.