1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Males are territorial toward each other; one male per tank.
393 species in our list are a good match.
Males are territorial toward each other; one male per tank.
Frozen bloodworm, daphnia and small crustaceans.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males grow larger, develop longer fins, carry more iridescent scales on the head and body, and have a noticeably stockier head (they brood the eggs).
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Paternal mouthbrooder. The female picks up the eggs and spits them to the male, who broods them for 10-21 days before releasing free-swimming fry. The female leads courtship. Some breeders lose broods to the adults, so the female is often removed carefully a few days after spawning.
A small group letting pairs form.
80 L planted tank with caves and gentle flow.
Live foods and good water quality.
A male can hold up to about 60 young; incubation 10-21 days.
Fry take baby brine shrimp.
A paternal mouthbrooding betta from Brunei and Sarawak, Borneo, and one of the more widespread Bornean species. Most are found in blackwater, but it also lives in clear flowing streams (keeping to quiet margins), roadside ditches and ponds.
Charles Tate Regan described this betta in 1910 from the Akar River in Sarawak. It is a fairly large mouthbrooding betta kept by wild-betta enthusiasts.
First described by C. Tate Regan in 1910. Named for Named after the Akar River in Sarawak.
16 facts checked with sources
Valid name; Betta climacura Vierke 1988 is a synonym (Catalog of Fishes). Named for the Akar River, Sarawak.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Betta akarensis (online version updated 21 Sep 2026) · FishBase: Betta akarensis summaryLegacy has no family field; sourced value recorded.
FishBase: Betta akarensis summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Betta akarensis (online version updated 21 Sep 2026)size-pick: Seriously Fish live adult 8.0 cm SL kept. FishBase's 14.0 cm TL (Kottelat et al. 1993) is a single maximum figure well above the aquarium size (8 cm SL is roughly 10-11 cm TL), so not used. Legacy 9 cm fits as an approximate total length.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis · FishBase: Betta akarensis summaryLegacy 22-27 °C inside both sources' 21-27 °C.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis · FishBase: Betta akarensis summaryLegacy equals Seriously Fish.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis · FishBase: Betta akarensis summaryLegacy has no hardness; Seriously Fish range recorded.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis60 x 30 cm base x 30 cm height = 54 L (Seriously Fish lists ~54 L). Legacy 70 L. Seriously Fish: '60 x 30 cm or more is recommended'.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensisSeriously Fish rates it 'best in a pair' (kept as a pair, ideally one that formed naturally, in a species tank). Legacy 1 (single fish) is not what the source advises. Seriously Fish adds that a group can be kept with plenty of hiding places.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensisSeriously Fish lists its temperament as unknown; females can be aggressive while spawning. Legacy 'semi-aggressive' (one male per tank) not confirmed.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensisNo source names an aquarium swimming level; FishBase calls it benthopelagic. Its air-breathing (labyrinth) habit does not by itself make it a top-dweller.
FishBase: Betta akarensis summarySeriously Fish's difficulty rating is 'Easy'. Legacy 2 (1 easy, 2 moderate, 3 hard).
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensisLegacy has no range field; its story's 'western Borneo' is wrong (it is north-western/northern Borneo: Brunei and Sarawak). IUCN Data Deficient per FishBase.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Betta akarensis (online version updated 21 Sep 2026) · FishBase: Betta akarensis summaryLegacy 'brighter' agrees; 'slimmer' male is contradicted (males are larger with stockier heads). 'Pointed tail' not found.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensisMouthbrooder confirmed by both sources.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis · FishBase: Betta akarensis summaryLegacy 20-60 eggs agrees with the sourced upper limit of 60; the lower figure is not sourced.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensisLegacy errors: 'western Borneo' (it is Brunei/Sarawak) and 'lives in fast, clear streams, so it appreciates a bit of flow' (mostly blackwater; in streams it stays in quiet margins; Seriously Fish advises gentle filtration). 'More colourful than most wild bettas' not sourced.
Seriously Fish: Betta akarensis