Betta mahachaiensis

The Betta mahachaiensis, is a species of bubble-nesting fighting fish native to Thailand[1], where they occur naturally near the Gulf of Thailand. They inhabit stagnant waters in swamps, pools, and ponds. They are only found in brackish waters, with salinity levels between 1.1 and 10.6 parts per thousand. This is unique among Betta fish. This species grows to a length of 5 - 6 cm. It is found in the aquarium trade.[2][3][4]

Betta Mahachaiensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anabantiformes
Family:	Osphronemidae
Genus:	Betta
Species:	B. mahachaiensis
Binomial name
Betta mahachaiensis Kowasupat, 2012

Betta mahachaiensis was discovered in 2012 by a team of biologists led by Dr Chanon Kowasupat.[5][1] It was found in the Samut Sakhon Province of Thailand, and the name is a derivation of the Thai name for the sub-district. The male is differentiated among the by the Betta splendens by iridescent green-blue stripes on a brown-black background. [1]

Betta mahachaiensis have a pair of suprabranchial chambers that each house an air‐breathing organ known as the labyrinth apparatus:a complex bony structure lined with thin, highly vascularised respiratory epithelium. The labyrinth apparatus is a morpho‐physiological adaptation that allows the B. mahachaiensis to extract oxygen from air.[2]

References

1. "New Species of Fighting Fish Found in Thailand | Biology | Sci-News.com". Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
2. "Betta mahachaiensis". Seriously Fish.
3. "Betta mahachaiensis summary page". FishBase.
4. "Mahachai Betta". www.fishlore.com.
5. Kowasupat, Chanon; Panijpan, Bhinyo; Ruenwongsa, Pintip; Sriwattanarothai, Namkang. "Betta mahachaiensis, a new species of bubble-nesting fighting fish (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) from Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand". researchgate.net. Retrieved 27 December 2019.