''Betta akarensis'', the Akar betta, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriate s ...
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 elsew ...
to south-east
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...
, and whose species name ''akar'' was so named after where it was originally found in the river
Sungai Akar
Kampong Sungai Akar is a village in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, as well as a neighbourhood in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The population was 5,467 in 2016.
Name
According to folk tale, there used to be many snakes, especially in the ...
. This species is a
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 ...
,
and grows to a length of
SL. According to Linke, they "live predominantly in mineral-poor, slightly acid water enriched with
humic Humic substances (HS) are organic compounds that are important components of humus, the major organic fraction of soil, peat, and coal (and also a constituent of many upland streams, dystrophic lakes, and ocean water). For a long era in the 19th an ...
substances".
Morphology and Description
This is a fish that measures 14 cm. Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7–8; Anal spines: 1–2; Anal soft rays: 26–28; Vertebrae: 31–32.
Distribution
Asia,
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
.
Biology
They live in swampy forests, peat bogs, and acidic water. They are usually found in a more stagnant section of the streams among the leaf litter and submerged vegetation that dominates the bank. They are
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 ...
.
References
akarensis
Taxa named by Charles Tate Regan
Fish described in 1910
{{Anabantiformes-stub