I promised I’d finish this series and I’m finally living up to my word. This is one of only 5 complexes left for me to briefly overview! The coccina complex includes some rare fish, and even a species kept by a member of fishblr! They are bubble nesting bettas.
Betta brownorum You may know these fish from @/blackwaterbubbles blog! Vín and Víktoria are both brownorum. This species likes tannin rich water with a low pH of no more than 6.0 and thick vegetation. Often, little light penetrates their natural habitat. The size of the green blotch on their sides may vary by locality. They are quite small, less than 40 mm in standard length! src
Betta burdigala I play favorites, and this is certainly one of my favorite of the wilds. These 30-35mm blackwater fish look very much like their cousin the brownorum, but lack the distinctive greenish spot. It is extremely rare in the aquarium hobby, and disappearing in the wild as well. src
Betta coccina This 40mm fish likes a dark tank, with plenty of leaf litter and thick vegetation. pH of 3.0-6.0 is their preference, with little to no flow. Their name comes from the latin word coccinus, meaning scarlet, a reference to their color. src
Betta hendra Most members of this complex are reddish in coloration, but not this one! It prefers a higher pH than the previously mentioned species, ranging from 4.0 to 6.5. Only a very limited amount appear in the aquarium trade, unfortunately. src
Betta livida This betta is considered endangered, now inhabiting only a few small pockets of forest stream. Their name comes from the latin term for jealousy, a reference to their eyes, which sometimes appear to be somewhat green. They are almost never available in the aquarium trade, and in need of focused conservation efforts. src
Betta miniopinna Like the livida, populations of this fish are declining. Habitat is being lost, and the fish is not commonly being preserved in the pet trade as of now. They like sluggish water with floating vegetation and leaf litter. src
Betta persephone With its dark coloration, its easy to see why this species was named after the queen of the underworld in greek polytheism. Its brown-black body and blue fins contrast sharply against the red of most other members of this genus. They are occasionally seen in the aquarium trade, but not as often as the more popular species. src
Betta rutilans Its name means ‘red’, and red it is! The white tips of its pelvic fins help you to tell it apart from other congeners. Sluggish blackwater is ideal for this species, they are not used to water with a heavy flow! src
Betta tussyae The tussyae must be kept in blackwater conditions. It is a bit on the larger size for this complex, capable of reaching 37mm. It likes lots of places to hide. This fish is nearly unheard of in the aquarium trade. src
Betta uberis Last but certainly not least is the darker colored uberis, with a max length of 36mm. They like their tanks dark and dim, with dense vegetation. Occasional squabbles are not unheard of but longterm rarely have issues with conspecifics. src
