The origin of the colorful improved betta breeds is Betta splendens, a wild species that lives in Thailand. It is smaller and slimmer than the improved variety, and its color is a little more subdued. If you didn't know, you wouldn't think they were the same species. This wild species, Splendens, was improved over many years, and the current improved species, Betta, was created.

Among these improved varieties is a short-fin type improved variety called Plakat. For some time now, there have been individuals among them whose central part of the caudal fin has been elongated to become spade-shaped. Among the splendens group Betta fish, Betta machachaiensis is the only known species with the characteristic of having an elongated central part of the caudal fin. Therefore, it was thought that the spade-tailed Plakat had been bred with the Mahachaienis at some point. However, this assumption seems to have been wrong. This is because a regional mutation in which the center of the caudal fin is elongated has recently been introduced in Betta splendens. Splendens from a certain region originally had a trait of elongated tail fins, and it would be more plausible to explain the spade-tailed Plakat if you consider that this sometimes appears in the improved variety Plakat.

Recently, even in Thailand, the home of betta fish, an increasing number of enthusiasts are breeding wild betta fish in addition to improved breeds. Along with this, the number of stores selling wild bettas seems to be increasing. Sunday Market in Bangkok, also known as Weekend Market, is a popular spot for tourists. There is a section that sells pets, with shops selling dogs, cats, reptiles, fish, etc. Of course, there are many shops that sell betta fish, and they are crowded with shops with various characteristics. Some of these stores mainly sell wild betta fish. Naturally, I'm a fan of him, and I see him every time I visit Bangkok.

Around last year, I started seeing a slightly different type of Betta Splendens at a store here. The first thing I saw was a Betta splendens from Raburi, with an elongated central part of its caudal fin. The shape of this tail fin is reminiscent of Betta Strooi. Rather than being spade-shaped, it has a slightly elongated upper side. There are several places called Rabburi in Thailand, so when I asked for details, I was told that this fish was bred by an acquaintance, and that the details of the Rabburi locations are unknown. At that time, there were 10 males in the store, all of whom had similar characteristics. Later, I was able to see the same fish at a betta shop in a place called Banpon.

Earlier this year, Betta splendens from Don Mueang arrived at the same store. Don Mueang is the site of Bangkok's international airport before it became Suvarnabhumi Airport. Domestic flights and LCC routes still use Don Mueang Airport. This fish does not seem to have the center part of its caudal fin elongated as much as the one from Rabburi, but it still has a spade-shaped caudal fin. I saw over 20 males, and they all had the same characteristics. When I visited the same store in June of this year, it seemed that another regional variant of Splendens had arrived. When I removed the divider from the bottle containing the males, I was able to see the males spreading their fins together with a splendid spade tail. Not only is the tail fin elongated, but the size itself seems to be somewhat large.
When I asked where it was produced, I was told that it was located in Phu Rua, Loei, in northeastern Thailand. A little further east is the habitat of Betta smaragdina. It is interesting that there seems to be a boundary between Splendens and Smaragdina habitats around here.

Recently, I had the opportunity to collect wild splendens in Samut Prakan near Bangkok. Surprisingly, it seems that there are still some habitats left near private houses. The Splendens at that location had a normal round tail and was somewhat plain in color. It seems that wild splendens still inhabit many areas. By compiling this information, we may be able to clarify the differences between this species and other species in the same Splendens group, and at the same time, new findings may emerge.