Comparison of the activity and aggressive levels of two varieties of Betta splendens: halfmoon double tail and veiltail
B. splendens, Betta fish or Siamese fighting fish are found in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and live in slow-moving and stagnant water like streams, ponds, and rice paddies (Chailertri et al 2014, Strugeon 2001). B. splendens have a special organ above their gills, the labyrinth, that help them breathe. The labyrinth acts as an internal air reservoir which enables them to obtain oxygen right into their blood stream (Monvises et al. 2009). Wild B. splendens are not known to be colorful, in fact they are a duller color of brown or red. Both wild and bred B. splendens use their coloration to attract their mates (Strugeon 2001). When it comes time to mate, male B. splendens create bubble nests where they store their fertilized eggs. After selecting a mate, female Betta fish lay their eggs which the male Betta fish capture with their mouths and take to their nests. The male Betta fish shows aggression to defend and protect the eggs (Jaroensutasinee and Jaroensutasinee 2001, Todd et al. 2008). Male B. splendens are known to show high levels of aggression towards each other to not only protect eggs or offspring, but to also claim territory (Herbs et al. 2002). B. splendens may display their aggression through fin flare, biting, broadside display and more.
Although we do not exactly know why varied species of B. splendens show different activity level and aggression, genetics may play an important role in aggressive behaviors. An experiment conducted on deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus sonoriensis) showed that indirect genetic effect (IGE) play a significant role in setting the evolutionary potential for aggression (Wilson et al. 2009). Out of the five traits they studied, there was support for the presence of IGEs in three of the traits. They estimated that correlations between direct and indirect genetic effects were high. This means that aggression in the mice was a result of both evolutionary and a social environment reasons. (Wilson et al. 2009). In conclusion, the results showed that IGEs play a significant role in setting the evolutionary potential for aggression in this experimental system. The objective of this experiment was to compare and observe the activity and aggression levels of two varieties of B. splendens at Hope College Holland, Michigan. Therefore, we the evaluated the two varaities of B. splendens for differences in activity and aggression level.
Activity and aggression levels of male halfmoon double tail and veiltail Betta splendens were analyzed at Hope College, Holland Michigan on November 14, 2017 and November 16, 2017 by Biology 107 students. The Betta splendens were purchased a minimum of 3 days prior to the experiment from a local pet store in Holland Michigan. They were placed inside a 20-gallon tank that was divided into two equal sections and one fish was placed in each section. On...