When viewed for the general, over-all

effect, Bettas occur in a variety of colors,

such as blues, blue-greens, reds, maroons,
and purples. Iridescence may be present
in the full color phase. Males and females
are equally bright and colorful when at
maximum saturation.
Changes in color and pattern may accompany
a variety of phases of the contact-
pair relationship. These are very
complicated, but an attempt will be
made to correlate them in another paper.
In addition to the rapid and varied
changes just mentioned, general trends
in changes of color and pattern occurred
as the period prior to fighting progressed
(Table 5). These were detected by recording
the condition of each individual
immediately before its first contact-pair
reaction and immediately before the beginning
of actual fighting. The events of
the intervening period were then studied,
to discover any changes of more than
momentary duration that might be contrary
to the trends. It should be emphasized
that the categories of color saturation
in Table 5 are relative rather than
precise. The assumption should not be
made that all individuals were alike at
the beginning of the recorded period. At
the end, however, there was greater uni-
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AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR OF FEMALE BETTAS 159
formity-the body and fins were most
often at or near full saturation, and the
stripes had usually disappeared altogether.
The table shows definite trends
in the direction of greater saturation of
color for the body and fins and in the
opposite direction for color of stripes.
Changes in the pattern of stripes were
recorded more precisely than the accompanying
color changes. Table 5
shows that a variety of patterns existed
at the beginning of the period of record
but that absence of stripes was characteristic
of its end. Fifty-seven of the
seventy members of the contact pairs
lenge. This criterion was a somewhat
arbitrary one but worked out well in
practice, because it was invariably followed
by behavior markedly different
from that which preceded it. In general,
all activities were accelerated, and the reactions
thereafter were exclusively social
except for periodic trips to the surface
for air.
Certain activities characteristic of the
period prior to fighting were continued
throughout the actual fights. These
were challenging, both individual and
mutual, and biting. Exploring, chasing,
and retreating did not accompany fight-
TABLE 5
TRENDS IN COLORA ND PATTERND URINGP ERIODP RIORT O FIGHTING( 35 EXPTS.)
No. OF CASES IN WHICH No. OF CASES IN WaHICH STRIPE
COLOR SATURATION: PATTERN CHANGED TO:
COLOR SATURA- ----- ORIGINAL STRIPE
TION OF: Remained PATTERN
Became
n
Became Longi- Dorso- No
Un- None Greaterchanged Less tudinal ventral Change
Body.......... 56 11 3 Longitudinal.............. . 4 29 0
Fins........... .56 11 3 Dorsoventral...... 0 ........ 15 8
Stripes.......... 1 18 51 None.......... 1 0 ........ 13
were in this condition immediately before
they started to fight.
An attempt was made to discover
whether there were any correlations between
the frequencies of each of the
activities characteristic of the period
prior to fighting and its duration. None
were indicated. Tests were also made to
determine whether the extent of discrepancy
of size of the pair-mates was
related to the duration of the period.
These also gave negative results.
THE PERIOD OF ACTIVE FIGHTING
The first rapid exchange of bites by
the pair-mates was taken as the signal
that actual fighting had begun. Most commonly
this directly followed a mutual
challenge, otherwise an individual chaling.
With few exceptions, those individuals
that had not reached full saturation
of body and fin color did so shortly
after fighting began. They then remained
in this phase throughout their fights.
Activities characteristic of actual fighting
but not of the period prior to fighting
were rapid exchanges of single bites,
interspersed with other types of behavior,
and rapid exchanges of multiple
bites, similarly intermittent. Thus upon
occasion the pair-mates bit each other
once and then challenged mutually or
exhibited some other form of behavior,
only again to exchange bites. At other
times each pair-mate bit the other several
times; the two then engaged in mutual
challenging; and again exchanged a number
of bites. Simultaneous bites were also
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160 JAMES C. BRADDOCK AND ZORA I. BRADDOCK
noted, and these were usually aimed at
the mouths. At times the fishes grasped
each other's jaws and jerked each other
about. Hereafter this will be called
"locking of jaws." This form of behavior
did not occur during very short fights
(less than 5 minutes) or in the early
minutes of those that were longer. There
was also a form of activity which, for
want of a better term, we have named
"jockeying for position." It involved the
assumption by the pair-mates of the
head-to-tail, head-to-head, or tilted-T
positions characteristic of mutual challenging,
or occasionally the two bodies
were crossed, with the heads pointed in
the same direction. While assuming these
patterns, the individuals seldom exhibited
the belligerent stance characteristic
of the challenging Betta, or, at
most, only one of the two fish showed
that condition. Jockeying for position
became more frequent as fighting progressed.