# Do Bettas Yawn?



## Perry the platypus (Aug 20, 2012)

I just want to know because Perry opened her mouth and it looked like she was yawning.


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## bettaluver14 (Dec 15, 2012)

Perry the platypus said:


> I just want to know because Perry opened her mouth and it looked like she was yawning.


yes!! my betta zuko yawns too. does perry like kinda push her mouth out and her gills poke out?


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## Neight (Oct 20, 2012)

You know, I had the same question when I had my first betta. He opened his mouth as wide as he could and it almost seemed like he was yelling and flaring; I got freaked out and thought he was dying. Turns out, he was just fine! My boys now do this, too, so I am led to believe that bettas really do yawn :3


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## Perry the platypus (Aug 20, 2012)

bettaluver14 said:


> yes!! my betta zuko yawns too. does perry like kinda push her mouth out and her gills poke out?


Yes! She opens her mouth for about 5 seconds and she flares. I thought that was pretty cute.


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## Little Leaf (Jul 7, 2012)

my betta only opens his mouth really wide! I watch him yawn. it's entertaining

(I yawned while typing this)


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## Perry the platypus (Aug 20, 2012)

:lol: Yawns are highly contagious!


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Most of my fish do it. Even my 200+ babies yawn haha. (imagine, if one of them yawned and the rest yawned from it being contagious?)


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## Little Leaf (Jul 7, 2012)

you have 200+ what now?!


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Yes Sena has 200+ from a recent spawn. I believe bettas do yawn. All 10 of mine do. It lasts for about 5 seconds. They open their mouths really wide and flare.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I sell them? lol.


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## Little Leaf (Jul 7, 2012)

Sena Hansler said:


> I sell them? lol.


LOOOOL! I wish I could have one but I'm busy with 4 danios and King Dedede. my parent's aren't letting me seperate them and there's a LOT of nipping going on... I think King Dedede is bleeding...


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

A: Well, I guess you will have to accept the fact that you may be boring LOL . 
But seriously, this behavior is very common and pretty much all bettas do in deed do that. You asked if they are yawning: The answer is no. (don't be relieved just yet, it still doesn't prove that you are not boring after all LOL). I believe that the reason bettas do that is because of their labyrinth.

It is believed that because Bettas originally came from shallow stagnant waters, which contained little oxygen, Bettas had to adapt by developing a new organ, called a “Labyrinth”, which would allow them to get the oxygen they need to survive directly from the atmosphere, above the water’s surface.

The “Labyrinth” is an accessory respiratory organ, located in the gill chamber alongside and above the normal gills. It is composed of bony plates covered by a membrane through which flows venous blood. By gaseous exchange, passing through the labyrinth organ, the oxygen content is passed immediately into the blood stream, then the used air is expelled. Because only small amounts of air can be stored into the labyrinth, bettas must make frequent trips to the surface to replenish it. This is why you will see your betta regularly going back up to the surface of his bowl to take a gulp of air.

The labyrinth allows betta to survive in oxygen deprived environments, such as small bowls, and to also survive outside of water for what seems a long period of time. Bettas are sometimes found on the floor, having jumped out of their bowl, and after lying on the carpet for quite sometime, come right back to life when returned to their water. The labyrinth also allows us, breeders, to ship bettas in small amounts of water (just enough to cover their bodies) without suffering fatalities.



As you see, bettas are very special fish. Now in what way might the opening of a betta's mouth and gills for a second be beneficial to the labyrinth? I am not exactly sure. Perhaps it is a way for them to flush out something. Another thought that comes to mind is that bettas are bubble nesters and that maybe this "yawning" behavior may have something to do with this as well. If you have seen a betta blow a bubble nest you would notice that the mouth movements are very similar to that of the "yawning".


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## Viva (Oct 18, 2012)

I think bettas yawn. Or at least I see Cinder open his mouth and kinda looks like hes pushing his gills out. I've always wondered why animals yawned...its slightly mysterious.


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## Viva (Oct 18, 2012)

Ok so I looked up yawning on Wikipedia and found this quote:

"Similarly, Siamese fighting fish yawn only when they see a conspecific (same species) or their own mirror-image, and their yawn often accompanies aggressive attack."

I guess it's kind of like when a dog bares his teeth to show how big they are. A betta will open its mouth to show the other betta (or person I guess, because Cinder does it when he sees me!!) how big his mouth is.

Other theories suggest animals yawn to simply stretch muscles that otherwise wouldn't be stretched.


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## madmonahan (Aug 26, 2012)

Wow really? That's why my betta keeps "yawning!" because he is in a divided tank so they see each other alot. Well he'll also just randomly do it when he's away from the other betta so I think there are different reasons.

I got the cutest picture of my betta "yawning" and edited it!


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

bryanacute said:


> A: Well, I guess you will have to accept the fact that you may be boring LOL .
> But seriously, this behavior is very common and pretty much all bettas do in deed do that. You asked if they are yawning: The answer is no. (don't be relieved just yet, it still doesn't prove that you are not boring after all LOL). I believe that the reason bettas do that is because of their labyrinth.
> 
> It is believed that because Bettas originally came from shallow stagnant waters, which contained little oxygen, Bettas had to adapt by developing a new organ, called a “Labyrinth”, which would allow them to get the oxygen they need to survive directly from the atmosphere, above the water’s surface.
> ...


 this is why


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Lebron yawns a lot, he's all alone. I don't think other fish are the cause for yawns, I think that's flaring. lol It's normal for them to yawn, I even asked OFL. If they yawn excessively then there might be something caught in their gills or throat way.


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

They don't really yawn guys…


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

bryanacute said:


> this is why


This was obviously copied from a website.
It just states the process of the labyrinth. It just has a theory on their "yawning". It really didn't prove anything.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

bryanacute said:


> They don't really yawn guys…


We mean by the way it looks. I know they really aren't.


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

It's different info from several websites, books etc... Put together into my own words.


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## madmonahan (Aug 26, 2012)

I get it, but i still call it "yawning" i know its not really yawning its more of a breathing thing. calm down everyone...


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Ok. I do to! So all's good


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

Technically, since they do have a labryinth organ, much as we have lungs, yawning motion can be a few things. One of them is oxygen to the brain. Most of us yawn, due to lack of oxygen to the brain. They yawn probably to something similar to us  IMO


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## Perry the platypus (Aug 20, 2012)

Viva said:


> Ok so I looked up yawning on Wikipedia and found this quote:
> 
> "Similarly, Siamese fighting fish yawn only when they see a conspecific (same species) or their own mirror-image, and their yawn often accompanies aggressive attack."
> 
> ...


A dog snarls when he is threatened or to show that he has strong K9 (canine) teeth but you have the same idea.


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## madmonahan (Aug 26, 2012)

Sena Hansler said:


> Technically, since they do have a labryinth organ, much as we have lungs, yawning motion can be a few things. One of them is oxygen to the brain. Most of us yawn, due to lack of oxygen to the brain. They yawn probably to something similar to us  IMO


Yes this also makes sense to me.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

I think they are just stretching their little jaws . It is enjoyable to project human emotions and behaviors on our animal friends, so I like to point out that he is "yawning" when I see him stretching his jaw 

If they were doing it to get oxygen, wouldn't they do it at the surface? Or does sucking in some water provide oxygen too? I would think that they shouldn't get too much water in their labrynth, just like we shouldn't get too much water in our lungs. (Although, some moisture is great for both)


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## WhiskeyHands (Dec 2, 2012)

yes mine does!


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