Fish profile · Osphronemidae

Betta persephone

AquariumFreshwaterNative to MalaysiaEndangered (IUCN)

Betta persephone is a dark-coloured wild fighting fish recorded from shallow peat-swamp pools in Johor. Its Malaysian populations depend on a very restricted habitat. Older accounts describe it as Johor-endemic, but recent genetic research questions the distinction from the Bintan fish Betta miniopinna, so its broader range needs careful interpretation.

Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 9 sources

Photo of Betta persephone — (c) Zakqary Roy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Max length: 3.2 cm
IUCN: EN; Endangered
In Malaysia: Native
Family: Osphronemidae; order Perciformes

Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.

How big?

Linear scale · hand 18 cm

Up to 3.2 cm.

The hand is 18 cm long.

Where in Malaysia

1 open-licence record · GBIF

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Recorded (open records)

Recorded in Johor. Based on 1 open-licence record on GBIF. Few records can mean few surveys, not few fish.

How to identify

Dark body without a conspicuous lateral blotch
Pale tips on the slender pelvic fins
Greenish iridescence on the unpaired fins

Habitat

Peat swamps

Shallow shaded pools among submerged leaf litter.

Diet: Insects and other small animals without backbones.
Native range: Johor peat swamps in Peninsular Malaysia; the relationship to Bintan populations remains a taxonomic issue.

Aquarium care

Minimum tank: 76 L
Temperature: 22–28°C
pH: 4.5–5
Temperament: Peaceful

Sources

Last reviewed 26 October 2026