It is believed that Bettas were first discovered in Thailand over 100 years ago. Since that time Bettas have been found throughout Southeast Asia outside of Thailand. In the wild, Bettas are normally found in still or very slow flowing waters with thick vegetation. Their natural diet is small insects, crustaceans and small fish. They can be seen in the wild nipping at the roots of plants to obtain the small insects, crustaceans and eggs of other fish. It is the action of nibbling at roots that has lead to the belief that Bettas eat plants.  They are not herbivores or plants eaters.  Bettas are also known as Siamese Fighting Fish. This is because of the aggressive behavior of males when two or more males are placed in close proximity to each other. Males are very competitive flaring their fins and expanding the gills to show dominance in the presence of other males. This always leads to ripped fins and extreme damage to both male betas.   It is for this reason that you should never place two males in the same container. Male betas are only aggressive to other male bettas and not to other types of fish. Bettas make a great addition to any community aquarium provided no other male betas are added.  Bettas prefer a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They can be kept at lower temperatures but it is advised not let the temperature go below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature lowers the betta will become more and more still.  One of the most unique features about betas is that they are "labyrinth fishes". Labyrinth fishes have a unique ability to obtain oxygen from either the water or from the atmosphere. To do this they periodically swim to the surface and gulp air using a special organ called the labyrinth organ similar in many ways to our lungs. This unique feature allows us to keep bettas in very small bowls without any additional air supply.