''Betta antoni'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

gourami Gouramis, or gouramies , are a group of freshwater anabantiform fishes that comprise the family Osphronemidae. The fish are native to Asia—from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia and northeasterly towards Korea. The name "gourami", of ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the

Sanggau Sanggau Regency (; Hakka: Sîang-ngau) is a regency in the north-central section of West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. In 2003, the regency's eastern portion was made into a new regency called Sekadau, leaving Sanggau with an area of . As ...

area in the Kapuas region. The species name ''antoni'' is named after Irwan Anton "in recognition of his generous help and gift of specimens". This species grows to a length of SL. According to Linke, they live in "densely vegetated, narrow watercourses with very soft, very acidic water".

Diet

In nature

In nature, ''Betta antoni'' has been seen preying on insects that lie on the surface of the water such as ''

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many s ...

'' (fruit flies), and very small fish.

In the aquarium

In the aquarium it will normally accept dried foods once they are recognised as edible but like all fish does best when offered a varied diet. In this case regular meals of live or frozen foods such as ''

Daphnia ''Daphnia'' is a genus of small planktonic crustaceans, in length. ''Daphnia'' are members of the order Anomopoda, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because their saltatory swimming style resemb ...

'', ''

Artemia ''Artemia'' is a genus of aquatic crustaceans also known as brine shrimp. It is the only genus in the family Artemiidae. The first historical record of the existence of ''Artemia'' dates back to the first half of the 10th century AD from Urmia L ...

'' or

bloodworm Blood worm or bloodworm is an ambiguous term and can refer to: * Larvae of a non-biting midge (family Chironomidae) containing hemoglobin * ''Glycera'' (annelid), a polychaete often used for fishing bait * Species of the Polychaeta subclass Scole ...

will ensure the development of the best colours and condition.

Sexual dimorphism

Males grow larger, develop more iredescent scales, a broader head-shape, and more extended fins than that of females.

Reproduction and development

''Betta antoni'' is a paternal

mouthbrooder Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...

, which means that the father incubates the

fry Fry, fries, Fry's or frying may refer to: Food and cooking * Frying, the cooking of food in hot oil or fat ** French fries, deep-fried potato strips ** Frying pan, cookware for frying Businesses and organizations * Fry (racing team), a Britis ...

in his mouth. The breeding process in ''Betta antoni'' is typical of mouthbrooders, and of the '' B. akarensis'' cluster of closely related species. The female plays the more active role in initiating courtship and defending the area against intruders. After courting,

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

and

milt Milt is the seminal fluid of fish, mollusks, and certain other water-dwelling animals which reproduce by spraying this fluid, which contains the sperm, onto roe (fish eggs). It can also refer to the sperm sacs or testes that contain the seme ...

are released during an ’embrace’ typical of anabantoids in which the male wraps his body around the female. Several ‘practice’ embraces may be required before any eggs are released. Once

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aqua ...

begins, eggs are laid in small "batches" and picked up in the mouth of the female before being spat out into the water for the male to catch. Once the male has all the eggs in his mouth the cycle is repeated until the female is spent of eggs, a process which can take some time. The incubation period is 10 – 21 days at which point the male will begin to release fully-formed, free-swimming

. It has been seen that the male accidentally swallows or releases the fry prematurely when stressed. The fry are large enough to consume motile foods such as

microworm The free-living nematode ''Panagrellus redivivus'' (sour paste nematode, or beer mat nematode from its occurrence in constantly moist felt beer mats), is known to many aquarium enthusiasts and fish keepers as the microworm. It is a tiny roundwo ...

and ''

'' nauplii immediately.

In the aquarium

''Betta antoni'' is of mild importance to the aquarium trade.

References

antoni Fish described in 2006 {{Anabantiformes-stub