TankBud

Lehi betta

Betta lehi

Also known as Lehi's mouthbrooder

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
4.0–7.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6.1 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Osphronemidae
Origin
Southwest Sarawak and the lower Kapuas basin, Borneo

Overview

The Lehi betta is a quiet mouthbrooder from Borneo that suits a calm, densely planted tank. It is best for a keeper who has already kept easier fish.

Did you know

For years the Lehi betta sat in collections as plain Betta sp. Kottelat and Lim had caught only a handful of specimens by 1995 and listed it without a name. Tan and Ng finally described it in 2005.

Caring for the Lehi betta

Give Lehi bettas at least 16 gal (60 L), with leaf litter, botanicals, dim light and dense planting. Add driftwood or clay pot caves for plenty of cover, and run a gentle sponge filter. Fit a tight lid, because this fish jumps.

Keep it at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 4.0 to 7.0, the range Seriously Fish gives. The wild water can be extremely soft and acidic, so aim for the low end with rainwater or RO water and tannins. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm, and add dried food once it is accepted.

The Lehi betta is quiet, peaceful and easily bullied, so it does not belong in a busy community. Keep it alone, as a pair or as a small group. Calm, small tank mates from similar water are fine, but dwarf shrimp will be eaten. It is a mouthbrooder, and breeding it is hard.

Good to know

Betta lehi belongs to the Betta pugnax group of the family Osphronemidae. It is named for Charles Leh, then curator of zoology at the Sarawak Museum. It lacks a chin bar and carries transverse bars in the dorsal fin but none in the tail. The gill cover shows green iridescent scales, and the anal fin has a light blue edge. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable, and its swamp forest habitat is shrinking.

In the wild

The Lehi betta comes from a small corner of Borneo, the country between Bau and Lundu southwest of Kuching in Sarawak. It also lives in the lower Kapuas basin, across the border in West Kalimantan. Its home is peat swamp forest and acid swamp forest. The type series came from Sungai Stuum Muda, a stream on the road from Bau to Lundu. There it was netted from the quiet edges of clear, fast water among overgrown bank plants.

Common questions

What size tank does a Lehi betta need?

A Lehi betta needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Lehi betta need?

A Lehi betta is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 4.0–7.0.

What does a Lehi betta eat?

A Lehi betta eats small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm. Add dried food once it is accepted.

How big does a Lehi betta get?

An adult Lehi betta reaches about 2.4 in (6.1 cm).

How does a Lehi betta breed?

The Lehi betta is a mouthbrooder. Breeding it is hard.

Related species