Fish Fighting: From the King of Siam to America

Fish fights date back two hundred years to Siam, and a warrior clan called the “Bettah”. Siamese fighting fish got this label because of their aggressive behavior, and fighting fish became so commonplace that the king of Siam taxed them. While not as widespread today, fish fighting is still an acceptable form of play in some cultures.

Betta fish fights get a bad rap, and in some ways they don’t deserve it. Even going back to their origins in Siam (now Taiwan) and Vietnam, betta fish don’t fight to the death, like in a dog fight. Fish fights are judged more on bravery than bodily injury.

Fish owners don’t want to see death and injury, more domination and surrender. The winner is the fish that continues to attack and harass its opponent even after the weaker fish has turned back. Fish fights last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, with their owners eliminating the fish.

Most of the fish fought only a couple of times, and if they won both fights, they were bred and lived like a stud nowadays, keeping in the best environment. Fighting fish were only found in Siam and some parts of Vietnam, and when the King of Siam gave Teddy Cantor a pair of breeding betta fish in 1840, he didn’t realize he was introducing this beautiful little fighter to the world. .

Mr. Cantor bred and studied his fighting fish for years and eventually wrote a scientific paper on them, giving them the scientific name Macropodus Pugnax. After realizing that name was already in use, he renamed them Betta Splendens, or splendid betta.

In 1896 several breeding pairs were sent to Germany, where they began their transfer to Europe, and in 1910 a pair was sent to an American businessman, where they exploded, and have since become one of the most popular pet fish, and They are still only fought in Taiwan and Vietnam, where you can bet on betta fish fights in street markets.

When Frank Locke received one of these first pairs, he noticed a bright red coloration at the ends and thought he had discovered a new species. What happened was due to years of breeding, resulting in a new color scheme. Now, due to two hundred years of breeding, bettas can be found in almost any color scheme imaginable and can even be seen in banks, retail stores, and other public places.