‘Fighting’ fish that survives drought by hiding in the mud is new rare species
In 2022, after passing through the hands of local collectors, a new fish from Sumatra Island was added to the commercial aquarium trade.
The unique fighting fish, or betta fish, turned out to be a new rare species, according to a May 15 study published in the journal ZooKeys.
Researchers set out to Jambi, Sumatra, to learn more about the new species, Betta iaspis, which was was found in a single forest peat swamp less than 11.5 square miles and “adjacent to a huge oil palm plantation,” according to the study.
Betta iaspis is described as having a reddish brown head, irises with “iridescent bluish patches,” a blackish body with a “pale flush of iridescent blue” and simple red fins with a bright bluish edge, according to the study.
The new species was named for the Greek word for the gemstone jasper, referencing the fish’s reddish coloration, researchers said.
The fish survives the dry season, including the dried-up sections of the swamp, “by hiding in the moist mud beneath the dead leaves on the ground,” according to the study.
During the rainy season, when the swamp refills, they make their way back up through the mud to the water, according to researchers.
Researchers propose Betta iaspis be listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List based on its restricted distribution area in a single forest swamp, “and the fact that this habitat has already been facing direct threats from human activities.”
Irrigation activities from the oil palm plantation have exacerbated the drought of the swamp where the fish were found, according to the study.
“Although the species has evolved a successful survival strategy against nature drought, it will fail eventually if the continuing deterioration of the habitat’s hydrological conditions cannot be stopped by proper conservation efforts,” researchers said.
The research team included Jiali Ding, Wen Lei, Haryono Haryono, Wentian Shi and Wanchang Zhang.
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM with the headline "‘Fighting’ fish that survives drought by hiding in the mud is new rare species."
