Betta raja
Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 4:07 pm
I picked up a pair of rare, mouthbrooding Betta raja, (bet-tuh ra-ha) donated to the club by Gerald Griffin of the OKAA, at the May 2009 meeting. I placed the fish into a heavily-planted 70-gallon community. The female has been out and around since the second day. The male hid for a week, and now comes out occasionally.
The female, of course, is less colorful than the male. Betta raja seem to be expressively emotional. They switch color patterns in an instant. The female regularly flashes horizontal stripes if I get too close, and I've seen the male turn on horizontal blotches.
Anyway, it took two weeks for the male to come out and feel comfortable enough for me to get a photo of him showing normal coloration. Here it is:

The female, of course, is less colorful than the male. Betta raja seem to be expressively emotional. They switch color patterns in an instant. The female regularly flashes horizontal stripes if I get too close, and I've seen the male turn on horizontal blotches.
Anyway, it took two weeks for the male to come out and feel comfortable enough for me to get a photo of him showing normal coloration. Here it is:
