They have a VERY hard bite

[caljamsam]

I don't know how many of you have had the fortune of getting really bit by a betta fish. Well I have. Before I knew too much about them I used to go in my roomate's room and pet his fish that were in vases. Well after some time with this one of them got tired of me noodling around, turned around and bit me really, really hard. I mean not hard enough to break skin but nearly so. I'm mot small, yet he tried really hard to yank me into the bowl with him.

They bite so hard they will send you through the roof. It's amazing that such a small creature that can fit on the size of a dime can have a bite that hard. And the big ones you see in tanks in the stores, well, after this experience I know one of those big ones can bite somebody's ass off.

My current fish don't do a 180 and bite me anymore. Although one of them gave me a little nip one day that was certainly enough to get my attention. The possibility always exists though.

[LizzyP]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere they have a bite force(keep in mind, proportioned to their size) greater than a great white shark. None of mine have bit me, but then again I really don't stick my hands in there unless it's an emergency while they're in there.

[caljamsam]

Ha ha.

[lelei]

Oh yea, I feed pellets off of my finger, and the first couple of times, my fish just grabbed that pellet and I jumped a mile..but after so many times getting used to my fish jumping to get the food, and getting nipped as many times as I did, I got used to it, but it's not for the faint at heart, your immediate reaction is to jump, and you could fling your fish, so if you do it, be very prepared to know what that bite may fee like, cuz it's fun to feed from your finger, but again, practice with a docile fish, not one who eats like a shark..lol..like 2 of mine do:)

[caljamsam]

Feeding them by fingers is one of the most beautiful, indescribable feelings on the face of the Earth /sigh/

/AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!/

[Laki]

Ludendorff comes out of the water on your finger latched on. I wouldn't say it hurts and it will never leave a mark but they do have teeth and they do have bite.

[sainthogan]

I haven't been bit yet, but close. I feed her blood worms from my fingers, and I have to admit, I was quite surprised at the force of her grip when she jumped up to grab it. That little blood worm was yanked in 2!

[Hallyx]

Oh Puhleeeze....

What a bunch of sissies. Many of us have been bitten by full-sized angry Betta on many occasions. It tickles.

They don't have teeth, just bony ridges like this:
(photo by inareverie)

The bite force compared to a Great White Shark is apocryphal. I've never seen even semi-scientific study on this.

[caljamsam]

For such tiny creatures with sweet little faces they have the bite of a lion whoever's experienced this phenomena. That's why they can't be left alone to their own devices because they'll start ripping each other's fins off and stuff.

[crowntaillove]

Originally Posted by Hallyx

Oh Puhleeeze....

What a bunch of sissies. Many of us have been bitten by full-sized angry Betta on many occasions. It tickles.

They don't have teeth, just bony ridges like this:
(photo by inareverie)

The bite force compared to a Great White Shark is apocryphal. I've never seen even semi-scientific study on this.

I've always wondered how they can manage to bite another bettas fin off. I didn't figure it was by sucking it to death. xD I learn something every day on here. :] I wonder if it hurts to have a fin bitten off... do they have nerve endings in their fins, or is it more compairable to having our hair cut?