Scales cover the Betta’s body, overlapping each other like the shingles on the roof of a house. These thin, transparent scales help protect the Betta’s body from injury and streamline the fish for efficient swimming. A mucus layer covers the scales, reducing drag as the fish swims (this is the slimy feeling you get when you hold a fish in your hands). The mucus also helps protect against invading parasites and infection.
The Betta’s scales lack pigment. Its brilliant colors actually come from pigment cells located in the skin. The skin also produces both the scales and the mucus covering.
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