What countries do betta fish come from?

The betta comes from parts of Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia in the river basins of the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers. They are found in rice paddies and drainage ditches, river basins and small streams.

Bettas live in rice paddies and river basins. Their natural territory is about three-feet square. The areas in which they live are relatively shallow and thick with vegetation. The streams are slow-moving and in the dry season can easily evaporate to almost nothing. When this happens, bettas are forced to live in shallow puddles where they can survive for a short time because, unlike other tropical fish, the betta has a labyrinth, or breathing organ, that allows it to get its oxygen from the air it breathes. Bettas are skilled jumpers and use this talent to get from a small puddle to a larger body of water. These puddles are connected by a network to larger bodies of water, and the water is always changing, keeping dangerous pollution at bay. When kept in tiny cups or little "betta bowls," they can survive for a time, just like in puddles, but they will not thrive.