A small freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia, famous for its brilliant colors and the aggressive behavior of males toward each other.
From Malay 'ikan betah' meaning a type of fish, shortened to 'betta' by English speakers. The scientific name Betta splendens reflects the genus, and the fish became popular in the aquarium hobby.
Bettas are living examples of natural selection and sexual selection—male bettas evolved their shocking colors and aggression over thousands of years in small Southeast Asian waters, and they've become so popular that you can now find more betta fish in home aquariums worldwide than in their native habitat!
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