Siamese fighting fish

noun

1. a labyrinth fish, Betta splendens, that has been bred for centuries to develop brilliant coloration, very long fins, and pugnacity.

Siamese fighting fish

noun

1. a brightly coloured labyrinth fish, Betta splendens, of Thailand and Malaysia, having large sail-like fins: the males are very pugnacious

Word History and Origins

Origin of Siamese fighting fish¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

However, bettas, also known as the Siamese fighting fish, did not become living works of art on their own.

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Other species making use of color for courtship include the fan-throated lizard, with a wattle of iridescent blue and orange, and the Siamese fighting fish, its tail bristling with blood-orange finnage.

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Chareeya and Pran flirt, a ritual that can seem “like two Siamese fighting fish grappling each other in a bottle of glue.”

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It is also called Siamese fighting fish in scientific studies and historical accounts, which note as well that it can be found in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River.

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Photos of it went viral after Kachen Worachai, 40, who breeds Siamese fighting fish, or Betta, as a hobby, posted them on a private auction group on Facebook.

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