Identity and origin
- Origin
- Mahakam basin, East Kalimantan
- Identity
- Native Indonesian wild Betta species
Paternal mouthbrooder; locality-separated captive lines are essential.
FROM THE SIGNATURE COLLECTIONS
Look closely
Males usually show stronger colour than females. Similarity to B. albimarginata makes an accurate species and locality record particularly useful.
A detail worth knowing
The male incubates eggs in his mouth. This paternal mouthbrooding distinguishes its breeding strategy from the bubble nests familiar in many ornamental Bettas. Shallow forest water, roots and leaf litter provide its habitat context.
International Betta Congress — species account
Source review: 22 September 2026. Educational notes, not a stock or breeding-success claim.
Plan before choosing
- Habitat
- Blackwater streams
- Size and measurement
- A source-checked adult total length has not yet been added to this profile. Confirm it before choosing aquarium dimensions.
- Planning context
- The cited study supports this broad habitat classification. A verified husbandry protocol is not yet available here; do not treat natural habitat observations as an aquarium recipe.
Tan & Ng (2005), p. 87 (examined locality) · habitat record, not an aquarium prescription
Source check: . Independent husbandry review pending.
Plan around the wild species
Care-planning notes. Confirm exact requirements for the species and source population.
- Wild Betta have different habitats and breeding strategies; ornamental Betta splendens advice cannot cover every species.
- Retain species and locality records, and verify whether the line is a bubble-nester or a mouthbrooder.
- Plan a secure cover, shelter and a species-specific social arrangement before acquiring a line.
Evidence record
Conservation record: Endangered (EN); assessment year 2019. Conservation source record. This retained reference is an index or secondary record; the direct assessment and date require verification. Check for a newer assessment before making conservation or sourcing decisions.
Catalogue inclusion confirms a research record, not current stock, legal export, or destination-country import permission.
