Why do betta fish fight?

Betta fish is also referred to as the fighting fish because it is commonly seen fighting with other fish of the same species. Aquarium keepers and fish lovers need not get this idea from an expert but rather observe this fish while in the water tank. Officially known as the Siamese fighting fish, betta fishes are known to be very aggressive against other fishes including their own fishes and this is the main reason that they always find themselves in fights. The betta fish originated from the fresh waters of South East Asian countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Many of them can be found in the rice paddies these countries. From these countries, betta fishes have been brought to many parts of the world because of their inherent fighting behavior and because of their wonderful shape and bright colors.

Aside from their very aggressive nature, betta fishes are also known to be very territorial and this is another reason that they always fight a lot with other fishes. When people see them in aquariums, people would instantly notice that these fishes are typically separated in different tanks. The moment that two betta fishes are put in one water tank, they will instantly fight for superiority and territorial reasons. With this kind of behavior, many people use betta fishes to play betting and fish-fighting games.

Male and female betta fishes are both aggressive and territorial in nature. Most fighting is said to be more common with male betta fishes though simply because of the mating instinct. As with many other animal species, male betta fishes have an innate behavior of wanting to be superior and become better than the others. Seeing other male betta fishes is almost always perceived as a threat and joining two of these fishes will also almost instantly result to a fight. Aside from mating and territorial issues, betta fishes also like to spend their day swimming alone rather than in the company of others. This seemingly anti-social behavior, territorial, and protective nature made the fighter out of these betta fishes.