Belontiidae or Osphronemidae?

[D Chia]

This is with reference to the topic: Bettas, Anabantidae or Osphronemidae? (started by Phantom Thief on Jan 11 2005, 04:51 PM)

Anyway, the Anabantoids (labyrinth fishes) are divided into the following sub-groups:

1) Anabantidae (e.g. Climbing Perches)
2) Belontiidae (e.g. Dwarf Gouramis, Paradise fish)
3) Helostomatidae (e.g. Kissing Gouramis)
4) Osphronemidae (e.g. Giant Gouramis)

Bettas, like the Dwarf Gouramis and Paradise fish, belong to the Belontiidae sub-group and not the Osphronemidae sub-group of Anabantoids (labyrinth fishes).

Studies by Britz, Kokoscha and Riehl led to the merging of the families of Belontiidae and Osphronemidae in 1995, published in the Japanese Journal of Ichthyology.

As a result, the Anabantoids were reclassified into the following.

1) Anabantidae
2) Helostomatidae
3) Osphronemidae (to include Belontiidae and Luciocephalidae)

Bettas who were originally located in the Belontiidae family of Anabantoids are today placed in the Osphronemidae family of Anabantoids. Hence, the Dwarf Gouramis, Paradise fish and Betta are now in the same family (i.e. Osphronemidae) as the Giant Gouramis.