Author(s) :

Anya Dhall.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This study examines the relationship between current retail care practices and recommended welfare standards for betta fish (Betta splendens) within California’s South Bay Area. Through a nonexperimental, mixed-methods approach, structured and objective field observations and employee interviews were conducted across four retail pet stores. The data were systematically collected and analyzed using a deductive codebook tracking seven critical welfare variables: tank size, environmental enrichment, water quality, water temperature, water change schedules, feeding practices, and employee training. Observational data revealed a distinct variation from the recommended welfare standards regarding necessary environmental conditions. Across all evaluated locations, betta fish were housed in small, unheated, unenriched containers containing an average of approximately 10 ounces, representing 1.6% of the 5-gallon recommended welfare standard. Conversely, care variables, such as water quality (1.75/2) and employee training (1.5/2), demonstrated moderate alignment to recommended welfare standards. The descriptive evidence indicates that although commercial retail settings successfully implement practices to ensure short-term biological survival, they do not incorporate environmental complexity and adequate heating to ensure optimal well-being. These localized data provide a baseline for institutional retail guidelines, consumer education initiatives, and policy framework for ornamental fish at the point of sale.