Persephone betta

Care at a glance

Overview

Keep a pair or small group in about 40 liters with a base of 45 cm, very soft acidic water at pH 4.0 to 6.0, and 23 to 27 C. Provide heavy planting, floating cover, and a tight lid. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia and chironomid larvae. Best kept as a single pair or small group in a quiet species tank.

In the wild

Betta persephone is a small, dark betta from shaded peat swamps in southern Peninsular Malaysia. The water is very soft, acidic, and stained almost black, with little light reaching the bottom. It needs a dim blackwater tank with dense cover and leaf litter. Habitat loss has made this fish scarce in the wild.

Good to know

Described by Schaller in 1986, it belongs to the Betta coccina group and is named for Persephone, queen of the underworld, a nod to its dark coloring. It is a bubble nester. The IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered due to peat swamp destruction.

Did you know

Named after the queen of the underworld for its near black body, Betta persephone is listed as Critically Endangered as its swamp forests are cleared.

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