I read something that said that bettas can breathe air too, is that true? Details?
2007-04-16 14:06:52 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Bettas and several(maybe all of the fish in the Anabantid Genus) are capable of breathing whole air. This is due to a sinus-like hole in the skull that allows the oxygen-to-blood transfer to take place. It's called a labyrinth organ.It develops in the fry when they are a few weeks old. It allows the fish to survive in oxygen deprived water like that found in sluggish streams and rice paddies in Southeast Asia,their native area. All of the Gourami and all of the fish that are called Betta have this organ.
2007-04-16 14:23:52 · answer #1 · answered by PeeTee 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its true, they can breathe air from the surface. Even though Bettas do well in waters low in dissolved oxygen, that does not mean they require less oxygen than other fish. Bettas have a special respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the surface. In fact they inherently must do so. In experiments where the labyrinth organ was removed, the fish died from suffocation even though the water was saturated with oxygen. For this reason, Bettas must have access to the water surface to breath air directly from the atmosphere.
2007-04-16 21:17:47 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, they are labyrinth fish, that is they have the ability to gulp in air from the surface of the water, hence they do not require an air pump.
Bettas originate from rice paddy fields of Thailand where there is very less oxygen in the water and the water is very muddy. Hence, God bestowed on them an organ called Labyrinth which enables them to breathe from the surface of the water.
Amazing, yes?
2007-04-17 07:08:21 · answer #3 · answered by oops1388 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, betta fish breathe air, they still need to be in water, but that is why they go up to the top of the tank a lot.
2007-04-16 21:11:13 · answer #4 · answered by Lycramosa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bettas need fresh oxygen to be able to breathe. Just like whales they swim to the surface to breathe air. If there is not holes in your betta's habitat lid it will drown. But also like whales, when moved from water they will dry out and suffocate, and then die. The best tip is to poke holes in the lid and don't let your betta out of the water. (be careful they can and will jump out of their tank if they want to)*
2007-04-16 21:54:37 · answer #5 · answered by nerdy! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Bettas fish breathe air (athmospheric air). They have an extra labyritnh organ.
2007-04-16 21:17:18 · answer #6 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bettas do breath air. This is why they can live in such small tanks they nee to have acccess to the top of a tank.
2007-04-16 21:45:23 · answer #7 · answered by Mosh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋