''Betta ferox'' 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
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. It is only found in rivers in
Songkhla Province, where it resides along shallow riverbanks among vegetation.
[ This species grows to a length of SL.]Betta pugnax
The Penang betta (''Betta pugnax'') is a species of gourami native to Southeast Asia and common in swiftly flowing forest streams of the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Sumatra, and the Riau Islands. In addition to its native range, the species has ...
'' and is also 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 ...
. Males and females are dimorphic, with males displaying elongated ventral fins, elongated caudal fins, and green coloration on the gill plates. Females typically display two horizontal brown bars across their bodies, shorter fins, and a more rounded body shape.
References
ferox
Fish of Thailand
Endemic fauna of Thailand
Taxa named by Ingo Schindler
Taxa named by Jürgen Schmidt (biologist)
Fish described in 2006
{{Anabantiformes-stub