As part of our Fish Rescue Spotlight series, we're highlighting rescues making a difference in the lives of fish. This month, we're featuring The Betta Garden, a Colorado-based rescue that takes in bettas, provides rehabilitation and care, and helps them find new homes. Tell us about your rescue and how it got started? When I was in high school I struggled a lot with mental health. I got a fish and it helped me a lot. Getting up to take care of my fish meant I had to take car

By Conner Tighe If you’ve ever seen your betta suddenly puff out its gills, spread its fins, and look like it’s ready to fight its own reflection, you’ve witnessed a behavior called flaring. It can be dramatic, impressive, and maybe a little funny — but it also has an important purpose. Bettas flare as a form of communication. In the wild and in aquariums, flaring helps them appear larger when they feel territorial, threatened, overstimulated, or interested in another betta.

Growing the Conversation Around Fish Welfare This month, we’ve continued learning from and speaking with people working on fish welfare around the world. These conversations have explored topics from fish health and prevention to how fish are treated across the trade, and we look forward to sharing more soon. Behind the scenes, we’re working to build future advocacy efforts, educational resources, and community projects to help create long-term change for betta fish. Intervie