Betta gladiator Tan & Ng, 2005

Family:  Osphronemidae (Gouramies), subfamily: Macropodusinae
Max. size:  5.55 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater; pH range: 4.2 - 4.8
Distribution:  Asia: Maliau basin in Sabah, Malaysia.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-9; Anal spines: 1-2; Anal soft rays: 27-30; Vertebrae: 33-34. Absence of anal-fin base sheath scales; absence of dorsal-fin spine; body yellowish brown, opercle bluish; caudal fin plain brown; vertebrae 33-34; anal-fin rays 28-31 (mode 30); dorsal-fin rays 7-9 (mode 8); pectoral-fin rays 16-17 (mode 17); subdorsal scales 5-6 1/2 (mode 6); lateral scales 34-36 (mode 35); predorsal scales 24-27 (mode 26); predorsal length 68.0-72.8% SL; head length 28.5-31.3% SL; length of anal-fin base 48.1-52.8% SL; length of dorsal-fin base 7.3-11.4% SL; lower jaw length 28.3-38.3% HL (Ref. 56613).
Biology:  This is an aggressive and territorial species which inhabits heath forest with acidic water. Single adults stay about one meter apart, usually together with a small number of juveniles. Individuals kept in captivity continuously fight and have to be kept separately, otherwise they would have killed each other (Ref. 56613).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 28 December 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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