Betta splendens Regan, 1910

Open encyclopedia reference

The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), commonly known as the Siamese fighter, or locally as the betta, is a freshwater fish native to Mainland Southeast Asia, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is one of more than 70 species of the genus Betta, but the only one eponymously called "betta", owing to its global popularity as a pet; Betta splendens are among the most popular aquarium fish in the world, due to their diverse and colorful morphology and relatively low maintenance. Betta fish are endemic to the central plain of Thailand, where they were first domesticated more than 1,000 years ago, among the earliest of any fish. They were initially bred for aggression and subject to gambling matches akin to cockfighting. Bettas became known outside Thailand through King Rama III (1788–1851), who is said to have given some to Theodore Cantor, a Danish physician, zoologist, and botanist. They first appeared in the West in the late 19th century, and within decades became popular as ornamental fish. B.

Wikipedia contributors, Siamese fighting fish; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:10:42.163410+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Betta splendens Regan, 1910

Name authority

Regan, 1910

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Teleostei

Order

Anabantiformes

Family

Osphronemidae

Genus

Betta

Extinction status

Not supplied by this source

Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. gigaclassActinopterygii
8. superclassActinopteri
9. classTeleostei
10. orderAnabantiformes
11. suborderAnabantoidei
12. familyOsphronemidae van der Hoeven, 1832
13. subfamilyMacropodusinae Hoedeman, 1948
14. genusBetta Bleeker, 1850
15. speciesBetta splendens Regan, 1910

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Betta. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 101 records assigned to Osphronemidae.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. Regan, C. T. (1910). The Asiatic fishes of the family Anabantidae. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1909, (pt 4) (art. 2) (for 9 Nov. 1909): 767–787, Pls. 77–79. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:LP2V. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.