A Siamese fighting fish with colours resembling the national flag of Thailand has broken the record of the most expensive fighter fish ever sold after it was bought for a record-breaking amount at an online auction in Bangkok.

The fighter fish, which is also known as the Betta, is native to the Mekong basin of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand and are extremely territorial and aggressive, so much so that they are called pla-kad (biting fish) in Thai.

Previously, several breeders have tried to breed the Betta fishes to produce similar colours of the Thai flag but have always failed. However, this fish with red white and blue stripes fetched a whopping amount of 53,500 baht (S$2,140) at the auction.

The fish came into notice after its breeder Kachen Worachai posted its pictures on a private Betta fish auction group on Facebook.

Kinchen himself was surprised after the bid hit 10,000 baht on the second day as he thought that the fish can only fetch him few thousand baht. "I never expected my fish to go for this price," he said on 17 November, according to the Associated Press.

The fighter fishes normally grow up to an approximate length of about 6.5 cm and exhibit brilliant colours on their bodies and fins. They became extremely popular in Thailand for its look and aggressive behaviours.