Betta mahachaiensis


The Betta mahachaiensis, is a species of bubble-nesting fighting fish native to Thailand, where they occur naturally near the Gulf of Thailand. They inhabit stagnant waters in swamps, pools, and ponds. They are only found in brackish waters, with salinity levels between 1.1 and 10.6 parts per thousand. This is unique among Betta fish. This species grows to a length of 5 - 6 cm. It is found in the aquarium trade.
Betta mahachaiensis was discovered in 2012 by a team of biologists led by Dr Chanon Kowasupat. It was found in the Samut Sakhon Province of Thailand, and the name is a derivation of the Thai name for the sub-district. The male is differentiated among the by the Betta splendens by iridescent green-blue stripes on a brown-black background.
Betta mahachaiensis have a pair of suprabranchial chambers that each house an air‐breathing organ known as the labyrinth apparatus:a complex bony structure lined with thin, highly vascularised respiratory epithelium. The labyrinth apparatus is a morpho‐physiological adaptation that allows the B. mahachaiensis to extract oxygen from air.