Stigmosa betta

Care at a glance

Overview

A pair or small group does well in about 60 liters with a base of 60 cm and a tight lid. Keep water soft to medium and slightly acidic to neutral, pH 5.0 to 7.0, at 23 to 27 C. Feed small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, artemia, and bloodworm, plus small insects. Best kept in a species tank or with calm, similar sized fish.

In the wild

Betta stigmosa lives in clear, flowing hill streams in eastern Peninsular Malaysia. The water is soft and slightly acidic to neutral with gentle current and leaf litter. A shaded tank with wood, plants, and moderate flow suits it. It is a fairly adaptable mouthbrooder for the genus.

Good to know

Described by Tan and Ng in 2005, it is a member of the Betta pugnax complex and a paternal mouthbrooder. Males brood eggs in the mouth for roughly 9 to 16 days. The name stigmosa refers to the small dark spots on its body.

Did you know

The name stigmosa refers to the pattern of small dark spots that mark this stream dwelling mouthbrooder.

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