Originally Posted by upsidedehead:
Originally Posted by interventor1212:
Siamese fighting fish are bred for beauty, not fighting. Too often, they are kept by their owners in small turgid bowls.
Plus, a bit small for the frying pan.
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You most likely mean small "turbid" bowls. That which is turgid is stiff. That which is turbid is murky.
Betta splendens has long been bred for fighting, as reported below (emphases mine):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish
"The people of Siam (now Thailand) originally started collecting these fish, known as "pla kat," which means tearing or biting fish, prior to the 19th century.
In the wild, bettas spar for only a few minutes or so before one fish backed off. Bred specifically for fighting, domesticated betta matches would go on for much longer, with winners determined by a willingness to continue fighting. Once one fish retreated the match was over. Large amounts would be wagered on these fights, with potential losses as great as a person's home.
Seeing the popularity of these fights, the King of Siam started licensing and collecting these fighting fish. In 1840, he gave some of his prized fish to a man who, in turn, gave them to Dr. Theodor Cantor, a medical scientist. Nine years later, Dr. Cantor wrote an article describing them under the name Macropodus Pugnax. In 1909, Mr. Tate Regan realized that there was already a species with the name Macropodus Pugnax, and renamed the Siamese fighting fish to Betta splendens, possibly after a warrior-like tribe of people in ancient Asia named "Bettah.
Additional corrective guidance is found in The Aquarium Fish Survival Manual by Brian Ward (Barron's, New York 1991, at page 2 of the Introduction, to wit (emphasis added):
"The Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens, is a well-known and popular aquarium fish. It bears little resemblance to its wild, drab relation of Southeast Asia, which for centuries has been bred to fight."
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It is not prudent to argue with an old aquarist and fish culturist without getting your facts straight, Interventor.
But you are mostly correct about the mis-handling of the species by those who do not provide proper care. Several years ago, someone started peddling the notion that a single male Betta splendens could be maintained indefinitely in a tall, slender urn-shaped glass vessel along with a single aquatic plant specimen. The misguided notion was that the fish would provide nutrients through defecation and the ecosystem would then support the plant along with some kind of invertebrate food supply for the fish and that it would thus be unnecessary to supply food or nutrients from outside the allegedly self-sustaining system. They even got the container wrong, since this species prefers a shallow water habitat--generally no deeper than about 7.5 inches. The entire concept was pure bunk and many Betta specimens died from this ill-advised negligent care regime.
The only thing I got wrong was the spelling of turbid.Present day Bettas are bred for their appearance not fighting ability. When I went to Bangkok for R&R from Nam, I was offered the fish many times. Never saw them fight. Good to know there is one subject you've studied.
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Perhaps you, like other tourists, consider that in your brief visit to a foreign country, you have "seen it all" and thus can discourse learnedly on any aspect of that country's culture. Since you dispute the fact that fish fighting is not carried on in Thailand, you might wish to ask yourself why the Tourism Authority of Thailand would publish the following:
"Thai Fish Fighting
Everyone is thrilled to see two small fish in size of the middle finger bristle their fins and lash out at each other like plucky seasoned prize fighters. They belong to the tough and pugnacious species of fish in the world: Thai fighting fish.
Like **** fighting, fish fighting is a native sport ofThailand. At present there are still fish-fighting areas to be found in the countryside and onBangkok's outskirts as no fish-fighting is permitted within the city limits.
When fighting is agreed upon, the fish are scooped our of their bottles and carefully put into a large tall jar. Coming face to face, the opponents are transformed into wonderfully beautiful creatures, their colour deepening their gills quivering and widening, their fins and tails spreading out and assuming a warm glow. Every part of the body becomes vibrant. They lose no time in getting at each other, biting fiercely and cruelly. With mouths locked for minutes or sometimes even hours, they fit up and down the water in the bottle manoeuvring for positions. Parts of gills, fins, tails mortal combat, the enthusiasts would bet basing their culculations on the amount and severity of the injury inflicted and received by both sides.
Thai fighting fish have attractive colours. They also have some characteristics peculiar to them and the knowledgeable breeders will keep only those with these good points hightly developed. They are well taken care of. The fighting fish which are round in its natural habital today but is bred for sale. The lukmoh is a tough customer that does not know the meaning of defeat. The pah fighting fish which abounds everywhere even in the canals has a longer body and has no stamina for a prolonged battle. In general, the Thai fighting fish is no more than 5 centimetres long and one centimetre wide. When caught, it should be put into a bottle of pond water. Only the male fights. It is distinguished from the female by its more brilliant colours, longer tails and larger fins. Strange to say, the female after laying eggs, will try to eat them and is only prevented by the male from doing so. The female must therefore be isolated while the male is left to take care of the spawn. The fry feed on tiny red plankton and later on mosquito larvae. They are ready to fight after six or seven months."
Source : Tourism Authority of Thailand. A Traveller's Guide to Thailand.Bangkok
http://webhome.idirect.com/~bo...haifishfighting.html
More information from the web site of a Thai enthusiast:
http://www.plakatthai.com/fightingfishsociety.html
You were WRONG on much more than the spelling of "turbid," Interventor! Since fish-fighting is illegal in Bangkok, it is not surprising that you did not see it there, but there is more to Thailand than Bangkok, Interventor. Perhaps you could get out into the countryside next time and broaden your knowledge of local customs.
