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 Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:49 am
 - Shouko's Log -Do not post unless specified to by log owner.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:51 am
Sex: Female
Species: Betta Splendens
Family: Osphronemidae
Order: Perciformes
Native To: Mekong Basin
Information: As B. splendens is the Betta species most commonly known to aquarium hobbyists, it is often but imprecisely sold as, and referred to, simply as "betta", particularly in the United States. The name "betta" can, however, also refer to any of the nearly fifty other members of the genus, including the type species, the spotted betta. The fish is known as pla-kad in its native Thailand.
In Asian countries they have long been used in a sport similar to cockfighting, where it was necessary to have aggressive short-finned fish. Today, by selective breeding, it is not uncommon to see B. splendens with an array of colors and tails. Both female and male Bettas are now available in many colors, with new strains being developed constantly by dedicated breeders around the world. Females never develop finnage as showy as males of the same type, and are almost always more subdued in coloration. Also, the temperaments of both sexes are varied. Though males on average are more aggressive, some females have proven more aggressive than their male counterparts.
Behaviors: Both instinctive and learned behaviours of B. splendens have been studied in considerable detail. Its characteristic aggressive responses were studied in detail by Simpson (196 cool . They are readily elicited by its own reflection in a mirror placed outside an aquarium. Male Bettas flare their gill covers, called the operculum, in response to certain situations. Flaring is the act of "puffing-out" the fins and gill covers as to appear more impressive, either to intimidate other fish (especially rival males) or as an act of courtship. Females will display horizontal bars (unless they are too light a color for this to show) if stressed or frightened, as will males. There have been instances of female bettas flaring, although this is much less common. Flirting fish behave similarly, with vertical instead of horizontal stripes indicating a willingness and readiness to breed.
The capacity to turn aggressive behaviour on and off by using a mirror, without putting the subject at the risk of physical damage inherent in staging an actual aggressive conflict, made the fish a popular subject of study by ethologists and comparative psychologists interested in studying aggression. There was a stream of research on the fish's aggressive behaviour from the 1970s, though this has reduced lately, partly because of new approaches to studying aggression arising out of sociobiology, and partly because it was realised that, even if no tissue damage was done, repeatedly eliciting aggressive responses in the fish might be a source of stress. Interesting results were obtained, however; for example, it was shown that the presentation of such an aggression-eliciting stimulus will act as an unconditional stimulus in classical conditioning, and as a reinforcer in operant conditioning. It is as if the fish finds the opportunity to attack another fish rewarding.
Other research has investigated the efficacy of tranquilizers in eliminating B. splendens’s fighting response and the fish’s opponent assessment behaviour.
An exceptionally large bubble nest.Under the right temperature range, (24-29°C) bettas are normally very active fish. They have good eyesight and will learn to surface for feeding time when a hand appears over the bowl and other simple recognition tools. During darker parts of the day, they may "sleep" or rest on the bottom of the tank or just under the surface where they can breathe. Bettas are very territorial and require a place to hide, even if there are no threats. They will cling very close to any plant or rocky alcove they can find, becoming highly possessive of it.
Apperance: B. splendens grows to an overall length of approximately 6 cm (2.5 in), and has an average life span of two years. Well kept aquarium specimens have often lived well beyond 3 years.
Bettas come in a wide range of colours, which are produced through Selective breeding. Reds and dark blues are the easiest colours to purchase, being fairly hardy, and often breed true. They come in all colours except pale green which is untrue, magenta, bright orange it has been discovered (oranges do occur, however this trait is inconsistent, and solid orange has yet to be achieved), and emerald green. Betta also has different color pattern such as marble and butterfly. There is also metallic color betta such as copper, gold and platinum
B. splendens specimens are now bred for many different tail shapes. Tail shapes vary from veil-tail, spade tail, round tail, delta tail, super-delta tail, all the way to the much-desired 180° "half-moon" tails. Crown tails, where the edges of the fins are fringed in appearance are a fairly recent development. Some breeders are currently striving for the "full moon" tail, which is a doubletail with 180 degrees on each lobe of the tail, totalling 360 degrees. There have been some concerns amongst enthusiasts that excessive finnage could negatively affect the fish's swimming ability and therefore its quality of life. The most common tail form seen in pet stores is still the veil tail. All these tail forms are still available in a stunning array of colors: marbled, Cambodian, butterfly, melano (black), turquoise and chocolate are just a few examples.
Diet: Carnivorous, it feeds on zooplankton and mosquito and other insect larvae. Domesticated bettas will feed on bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. Betta pellets are typically a combination of mashed shrimp meal, bloodworms, and various vitamins to enhance color and longevity. For variety and fiber, bettas may also be fed finely chopped vegetables high in protein such as soybeans, green beans, broccoli, corn, or carrots.
Bettas fare better with a large variety of foods and will often show brighter, richer, and deeper colors if they are fed a wide range of foods. They will also heal much more quickly from fin damage if their diets are high in protein and fiber.
( All Information Gathered From Wikipedia. )
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:51 am
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:54 am
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:55 am
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:56 am
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:23 pm
_______________Steptember 14th, 2006
It would be safe to assume that I am doing work, regardless of the inactivity that has been happening in this log. I record everything else in a small white notebook I carry around in me instead of the official logs left to us by the Dr. I get scolded for it quite abit these days.
Anyway, onto Fuyumi. One of the first to sprout human characteristics, and the only one who si a fres water fish. Fuyumi's progress has been increasingly better than when she first changed. She has mastered the human lagnuage of English on a 3rd grader level. However her affinity for ready, or lach thereof has more to be desired. It is hard for her to read what she sees even though she knows the word she is reading. It's odd, to have such a outspoken specimen, yet reading for her is quite impossible.
I will have more information later.
_______________End Entry
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