Actually, this guy here was named for the brightest star, Arcturus, in the constellation, Boötes. The name Arcturus means "Guardian of the Bear" in Greek, and the star was named as such since it was the brightest one in Boötes, which itself is next to the Greater and Lesser Bear constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
This is a face only a mother could love, really. But one of the cool things about this face is that it has a labyrinth organ that allows the fish to breathe from the surface of the water, in addition to its gills. I imagine that this organ developed in order to help the fish survive in the rice paddies of Siam, where they originated.
But the labyrinth organ allows the betta to be confined to very small spaces (I have heard of people putting them in wine glasses for a party, but removing them afterwards, of course), although in reality, they need 1.5-2 gallons of water to live comfortably. Because they also must breathe from the surface, I suggest using a bowl that maximizes the surface area of the water.
Did you know it's hard to take pictures of a fish in the water? It's easier if they are in a bowl, I suppose, than if they were out swimming in a pond, or the ocean.
But a male betta is still not the easiest thing to photograph, especially Arcturus. Apparently, he's a little camera-shy. Though it might have something to do with the big creature he sees outside his bowl with a large black object.
I'm not sure though; I'm afraid that will remain one of life's unsolved mysteries.
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