Antuta betta
Betta sp. 'Antuta'
Also known as Turquoise dragon betta, Betta antuta, Betta sp. Bulungan, Betta sp. Antuta/Bulungan
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 70–81°F
- 21–27°C
- pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Adult size
- 3.9 in
- 10 cm
- Minimum tank
- 26 gal
- 100 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Osphronemidae
- Origin
- Bulungan, North Kalimantan, Borneo
Overview
Sold as the Turquoise dragon betta, it is offered as a pair for about 110 liters, with 150 liters for a group, since males fight and females work out a pecking order. It is shy at first and does best with cover, clear water at 21 to 27 C, and a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. Feed frozen daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, and it will learn to take pellets, though it is easy to overfeed. Small peaceful cyprinids or loaches are the safe tank mates.
In the wild
The Antuta betta comes from flowing highland streams in Bulungan Regency in North Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, rather than the swamps most wild bettas live in. Give it a tank of 100 liters or more with clear water, a gentle current, driftwood, floating plants and leaf litter for cover, and a tight lid because it jumps. The importers that sell it advise keeping tannin staining to a minimum for this species.
Good to know
Betta sp. 'Antuta' is an undescribed paternal mouthbrooder in the family Osphronemidae that has no scientific name yet, so it is sold under a locality name, sometimes written as Betta antuta as if it were a described species. Seriously Fish and the shops that sell it place it in the Betta unimaculata group of large stream bettas, and at around 10 cm standard length with a blue-green mask on the head it looks the part. It has been bred in aquaria and tank-raised pairs are offered alongside wild fish. Nothing has been published on its wild population.
Did you know
It is one of the few wild bettas offered as tank-raised stock in the US, with one importer listing fish bred in Colorado, which is unusual for a fish that still has no scientific description. Its two trade names, Antuta and Bulungan, point to the same corner of northern Borneo, and Seriously Fish files it under both at once.
Common questions
What size tank does an Antuta betta need?
An Antuta betta needs at least 26 gal (100 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does an Antuta betta need?
An Antuta betta is comfortable at 70–81°F (21–27°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.
How big does an Antuta betta get?
An adult Antuta betta reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).
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