Fated to Fight 

In this research project my teammate and I looked at how breeding has changed the behavior of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) over time. Unlike most pets that become gentler through domestication, betta fish were specifically bred to be more aggressive for fighting competitions. This creates an interesting situation that challenges what we normally expect from domesticated animals. The study combines information from academic articles, historical breeding records, and behavioral observations to compare wild and domesticated bettas.

Research shows major differences between wild and domesticated betta fish that go way beyond just how they look. Wild bettas have dull colors for hiding, short fins for better swimming, and only get aggressive when defending territory or during mating. Domesticated bettas have bright colors, long decorative fins that make swimming harder, and stay aggressive all the time because that's what humans bred them for. The study found some really interesting behaviors, like how fighting bettas can sync up their movements to make battles last an hour instead of 20 minutes, how losing males avoid females who saw them lose fights, and how bettas get excited just from watching other fish fight.

We also discovered that breeding fish for fighting has changed not just their appearance but also how they think and behave in ways that are very different from other pets. Domesticated bettas are still smart about social situations, they know who's watching them, make strategic decisions about mating, and show complex fighting behaviors. This raises important questions about how we should take care of these animals and whether current breeding practices are ethical.

This project taught me that domestication can work very differently depending on what traits humans want to encourage, and that even small fish can be much smarter and more socially aware than we might expect. It also shows that we need to research each species individually rather than assuming all domesticated animals change in the same ways.