Betta fish live in the wild primarily in Southeast Asia, including countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and parts of Borneo

. Their natural habitats are shallow, warm, freshwater environments with abundant vegetation. Typical locations include:

• Rice paddies
• Peat swamps
• Slow-moving streams and ponds
• Marshes and vegetated drainage ditches (klongs)
• Blackwater streams rich in tannins from decomposed organic matter

These waters are often low in oxygen, which has driven the evolution of the betta's labyrinth organ, allowing them to breathe air directly from the surface

. The water temperature in these habitats generally ranges between 74°F and 85°F (about 23°C to 29°C), and the environments are characterized by dense aquatic plants that provide shelter, breeding sites, and hunting grounds

. Wild bettas are territorial and occupy territories approximately 1 square meter in size within these vegetated, slow-moving waters

. Their habitats are more extensive and complex than the common myth of bettas living in tiny puddles suggests

. In summary, wild betta fish inhabit shallow, warm, and densely vegetated freshwater bodies such as rice paddies, swamps, and slow streams across tropical Southeast Asia, adapting to low-oxygen conditions by breathing air from the surface