Fish rearing has long been one of people's favorite hobbies, a perennial form of home entertainment.

Siamese Fighting Fish, or Betta splendens, of the Labyrinth fish family, are a favorite in aquariums around the world, with their profuse colors and distinctive features.

The Siamese Fighting Fish originated in Thailand and spread to other countries in the region, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.  In Thailand, the fish has been raised in households since the Sukhothai Period, more than 700 years ago.  Records from the reign of King Lithai of Sukhothai allude to fighting fish being reared for sport.

At present, fighting fish are raised as a hobby.  They are placed in bottles, each in its own.  Pieces of cardboard are placed between the bottles to keep the fish from seeing one another and going into "combat mode."

The name "fighting fish" comes from the fish's social behavior.  Males will fight each other to the death.  And when a male  wants to mate, it chases the female around until it submits to mating.  The male builds a bubble nest, taking up air in its mouth, coating it with saliva and spitting out bubbles, which stick together on the surface of the water.  Careful pairing has to be done beforehand, so that spawning is accelerated, and to create familiarity, as a male can bite a female to death.

The male has long colorful fins, while the females have shorter fins and are not as colorful.  They vary in size and shape.  The short-fin fish are categorized by color and color combinations, such as the solid color, the bi-color, and the multi-color combinations, such as the solid color, the bi-color, and the multi-color.  The long-fin fish are categorized by the shape of the  tail, such as delta, paddle, and half-full tail.

Siamese Fighting Fish thrive in shallow water, canals, and flooded rice fields with a temperature of up to 86 degree Fahrenheit, or 30 degree Celsius.  They eat fresh food such as daphnia, brine shrimp, microworms, bloodworms, and mosquito larva.  They can also eat frozen dry food.

Thai breeders of fighting fish are constantly developing new species, from the tiny wild betta to the cultured ones with long, flowing fins and brilliant colors, fetching better and better prices, from 10 baht to as high as 10,000 baht a piece.  Siamese Fighting Fish are immensely popular even in Singapore, adding to the pride of the Thai Breeders.