Betta picta
Valenciennes 1846

Betta picta
Photo by Kei Sasaki (Betta House) [5]

Keeping Betta picta from an Aquarist View

Housing

Betta picta can be housed in pairs, species tanks, and community tanks.  Pairs can be housed in a 2.5 gallon tank, groups should be housed in a 10 gallon tank or larger.  Pairs should be given cover such as caves and plants.  In a pair or species situation it is possible that fry could be discovered in the tanks.  For best results remove a brooding male.
Water Conditions

Not critical, picta is very tolerant of water chemistry and thrives in almost any type of water as long as it is clean and well filtered.  They should be kept at cool to mid 70s F.
Sexing

Males have a broader head then females and a much darker stripe on the anal fin.  Females may not have a stripe or faint stripe on the anal fin.  Females ovaries might be visible via spotlighting.

 
Reproduction

Picta is a paternal mouthbrooder and the male incubates from 9 to 12 days with 10 days being very consistent.  Incubation time can vary with water temperature.  Females normally initiate spawning.
Similar Species Similar species would be picta complex members simplex, falx and taeniata.
Identification Picta males normally do not have a highly pronounced stripe in the caudal fin where as falx and simplex do.

Articles on Betta picta

Betta picta: Not Very Beautiful, But Interesting Nonetheless– Gerald Griffin, 1988 Republish from Flare Magazine

Betta picta (Sumatra)  Yohan Fernando

Betta picta – Carolyn Hanlon, 2007

Articles on related species

Care and Breeding of Betta falx Gerald Griffin 2003, Republish from Flare Magazine

I’ve Got a New Mouthbrooding Betta – Now What? Michael Hellweg. 2003.

Working with wild Bettas Gerald Griffin.  Flare! 2006

Original Citation Cuvier, G. and Valenciennes, A. 1846. [37]
References Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl, 1985. [24] Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott, 1991. [88] Schuster, W.H. and R. Djajadiredja, 1952. [95] Grabda, E. and T. Heese, 1991. [45] Kottelat, M., A.J. Whitten, S.N. Kartikasari and S. Wirjoatmodjo, 1993. [58] Eschmeyer, W.N., Editor, 1998. [40] Bleeker, P. 1850. [30] Bleeker, P., 1851. [32] Tan, H. H. and Kottelat, M. 1998. [101] Tan, H. H. and M. Kottelat, 1998. [103] Fernando, Yohan. [43] Griffin, Gerald. 1988. [117] Liebetrau, Sue. 1975. [125] Pinto, Tony. 2002. [138]
Type Locality Near Buitenzorg, Java, Indonesia.
Holotype No Types Known
Where Found Countries: Indonesia
Malaysia
Known Occurrences: Indonesia: Indian Archipelago
Indonesia: Pajakumbu, W.-Sumatra, Indonesien
Indonesia: Südöstlich von Medan Deli, Sumatra, Indonesien
Miscellaneous Information Max Size: 6.0 cm TL; 2 1/2 inches
pH range: 6.5 – 7.5
dH range: 22.0
Temperature range: 22 – 24°C
Differentiation from similar species:

“[Writing about the misnomer Betta pictum]…a small (5 cm – about the size of [B.] smaragdina) mouthbrooder. The color description is like that of [B.] brederi [B. pugnax]; however, [B.] pictum is from high mountain streams in Java, Singapore, and Sumatra, and can stand cooler temperatures.” [125]