The History Of Betta Splendens (Siamese Fighting Fish)
In 1849, the Western world was introduced to the Siamese Fighting Fish in an article written by Theodore Cantor. Since the fish didn't have a Latin scientific designation, he called the fish Macropodus pugnax, a previously discovered fish. Several breeding pairs of Bettas where sent to Germany in 1896 and then in 1910, Mr. Frank Locke of San Francisco California imported several Bettas to the U.S.A.
Historically speaking, Betta Fish are said to have gotten their name from an ancient clan of Asian warriors called the "Bettah." They were given these warriors' names because about 150 years ago people enjoyed participating in a popular sport that involved the fighting of two of these warrior fish. Spectators bet on how long a particular fish would fight, and which one would give up first. (In fact, most fish would only fight once or twice, and then live out the remainder of their lives being pampered and used for breeding.)
Natural Habitat
A Betta fish's natural habitat is in shallow, tropical water. This is because they need to be able to surface frequently, in order to breathe air. They can be found in nature in rice paddies, drainage ditches, slow moving streams and fresh water ponds. Bettas originate in the shallow waters in Thailand (formerly called Siam, hence their name)