Bettas have a special breathing organ called a labyrinth located on either side of the head above the gills and behind the eyes which, through evolution, developed as Bettas adapted to living in warm, organically polluted water.
Actually, the organ begins to develop at around the tenth day, but isn't fully developed for 3-4 weeks after hatching, so up to that point, baby Bettas are dependent upon their gills as a means of respiration.
If prevented from getting air, they will drown. I found this out the hard
Peaceful Pair Vase
way when I purchased one of those "Peaceful Pair" Betta vases. I saw it for the first time when I visited my chiropractor's office. The receptionist had been given one and displayed it on the counter. Smitten by the beauty of it, I ran right out to my local K-mart and purchased a kit to assemble my own. I followed the instructions implicitly, or so I thought, and proudly surveyed my completed creation. The next day the Betta fish was dead.
Heart broken, I went to the Internet to do some research and found out that Bettas are air breathers, which the instructions neglected to mention. I was horrified when I learned that I had unwittingly suffocated him. I'm positive I filled the vase with water up to it's neck, inserted the plant thus obstructing his pathway to air. It took me a couple of months to get over it, but by then I was armed with my new-found knowledge. I finally purchased my second Betta placing it in the same vase minus the Peace Lilly! He still thrives today and I've had him for a year and a half. (Note: Sadly, Adam passed away in June of 2002, a couple of months after this was written.)
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