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Interesting fact about bettas: they have a sort of nostril on the top of their head that allows them to surface and breathe air when the water they're in doesn't have enough oxygen to keep them alive-- at least that's what the guy at the pet store said when my mom commented on how small the plastic container things are that they keep them in. He probably pulled that one out of thin air.
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I've also commented on the size of their containers once--and their upkeep. At some Walmart last year or so, I noticed that the bettas' bowls were in horrible condition. The water was filthy, murky, and colored tan to brown. Plus, the water levels were so low: most barely had enough water to stay upright while some had to tilt slightly to the side to fully stay under the water.
I couldn't find anyone to complain to at that moment, so when I got home I called the Walmart and bitched at the manager a bit about whoever was supposed to be maintaining the fish area was doing a very poor job. The next time I went there, the fish were in better condition. However, the time after that, it was getting bad again.
Anyway, I'd say the breathing from the surface thing is true; as I recall, they do ascend to the surface often, with the very tops of their heads touching the surface.
Yay! I love mudskippers! They're so interesting with all that "mudskipping" and whatnot.
Now for more fishies:
I stumbled across this Leafy Seadragon (I believe that's its name) picture.:
http://zettesworld.com/hdz04b/images...afysea2901.jpg
Cow-nosed Ray:
http://zettesworld.com/hdz04b/images...seray54101.jpg
Catfish, a favorite since I was little (No, not to eat. Yuck.):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi.../Catfish_1.jpg
And this is my tribute to non-scary sharks, this one being a nurse shark:
http://www.richard-seaman.com/Underw...NurseShark.jpg