# Recovery of Male Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta splendens) After Overland Shipping

## TL;DR

This study finds that male Siamese fighting fish need about 8 days to recover after being transported overland, based on their growth and health indicators.

## Contribution

The study introduces an evidence-based 8-day recovery protocol for Siamese fighting fish post-overland transport.

## Key findings

- Fish showed significant weight recovery and stable condition factor after 8 days.
- Bubble-nest building and digestive enzyme activity returned to control levels by day 8.
- Muscle quality and skin pigmentation were comparable to non-transported fish after 8 days.

## Abstract

Siamese fighting fish are economically valuable ornamental fish. Commercial overland transportation of this fish species is widespread, although little is known regarding the growth recovery period following the journey. The present research investigated a 12-day recovery experiment following two days of overland transit. Based on biometric changes, nesting activity, skin pigmentation, digestive enzyme activity, muscle quality, and whole-body composition, eight days is a reasonable period of time to restore somatic growth. Our results offer clues for the proper post-transport treatment of this species. Transportation and post-transport acclimatization protocols might be predicated on an 8-day recovery period.

Ornamental fish shipped by road or rail may spend days in transit without food, leading to a reduction in somatic growth after transportation and during acclimatization. In the present study, a time-series (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 days) experiment was conducted to investigate the growth recovery of male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens, 1.56 ± 0.02 g body weight, n = 15 per group) transported by road for two days. Biometric changes, nesting activity, skin pigmentation, digestive enzyme activity, muscle quality, and whole-body composition, were compared across all fish groups. The recovery in growth, as indicated by final body weight, increased with post-transportation time (p < 0.05), causing a significant reversal of weight loss with a proportionally stable condition factor from day 8 until the end of observation (p > 0.05). During this time period, the fish exhibited similar bubble-nest building activity to the control group that was not transported (p > 0.05). Color parameters, digestive enzyme activities, muscle quality, and whole-body composition of fish 8 days after shipping were comparable to the control fish group (p > 0.05). Our findings indicate that an 8-day recovery time is an appropriate protocol for Siamese fighting fish acclimatization following overland shipping.