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Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Spotted betta
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Spotted betta

Betta unimaculata · Unimaculata, Betta unimaculata

Males can be quite aggressive toward each other; may eat small fish.

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11.5 cmBody length, without tail ✓
21–26 °CTemperature ✓
5–7pH ✓
72 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Spotted betta eats animals up to about 5 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Spotted betta eats animals up to about 5 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Spotted betta eats animals up to about 5 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

263 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓0–10 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Top
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–9 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Males can be quite aggressive toward each other; may eat small fish. Needs a large tank.

Food

Frozen bloodworm, earthworms and live foods.

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Male or female

Males grow larger, are more colourful, have a broader head and longer fins than females.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Mouthbrooder · Hard

Paternal mouthbrooder. After a long courtship both adults gather the eggs, which end up in the male's mouth; he broods them 10-14 days and then releases free-swimming fry (5 mm+) that take microworm and Artemia nauplii. Males often swallow broods if disturbed.

Pairing

A pair in a large tank.

Setup

150 L soft tank with caves and wood.

What starts it

Live foods and clean water.

Eggs

Egg count not given by sources; the male broods the eggs 10-14 days.

Raising the fry

Fry take baby brine shrimp and microworms.

Common mistakes
  • Housing males together
  • Small tankmates
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionNorth-eastern Borneo – Sabah & East Kalimantan
HabitatFast-flowing forest streams
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the spotted betta

A large paternal mouthbrooding betta from remote river drainages (upper Kayan and Mahakam) in East Kalimantan, Borneo, growing to about 11.5 cm SL. Locality forms differ in colour and pattern and will hybridise, so they are kept apart.

Dutch zoologist Canna Popta described this betta in 1905. It is a robust, active mouthbrooder that differs from many bettas by living in faster water.

First described by Canna M. L. Popta in 1905. Named for 'Unimaculata' means one-spotted.

  • Males brood the eggs in their mouths.
  • It can jump well, so tanks need a tight lid.
  • It was first placed in a different genus before moving to Betta.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources