They’re the main genetic structure that makes up the genetics of the domestic Splendens today, red being their base color they don’t have much scaling at the bottom half of their body which is usually deep red at the bottom and washes out to a more black towards the top followed by a greenish scale. Years of selective breeding and inbreeding caused many different mutations that breeders took advantage of and bred for and resulted in the many different varieties that we see today.īetta Splenden ( Purchase are the most distributed amongst the species and can be found around the southwest up to north-western Thailand. As time went by more and more people lost interest in the sport and began seeing potential for beauty within these animals from the cross breeding they saw as these fish had started to have different coloration and fins that were becoming more attractive so people then began breeding for beauty instead but the fighting mentality within these fish still remained. Some breeders even went to length to find species from different regions to selective breed for specific traits and abilities that would benefit the fish whilst fighting such as swift movements, aggressiveness, a target of a fixture to bite and stronger scaling to protect from attacks. Fish were put into small containers “Ring” to fight until the other fish submits to defeat by no longer participating and trying to get away, In some scenario, however, there was barely a way to escape and the fish had no choice but to fight until death. In those times the only use they were sought after for was purely for the sport of fighting so gamblers can bet money against other gamblers, they were either bred or caught to be conditioned for battle. Bubblenesting wild type bettas native to Thailand includes species such as Betta Splenden, Betta Siamorentalis, Betta Imbellis, Betta Mahachaiensis, Betta Smaragdina and its sub-species Betta Smaragdina Guitar these altogether are classified under the Betta Splenden complex which is much of where the genetics of your pet store bettas originated from as a result of selecting breeding which was specifically for aggression in the 1900s for fighting sport as the fighting behavior was much already in their genetics.

Wild betta fish