My betta fish makes strange noises

Question
I have a Betta fish who I have owned for about a year. I have noticed recently that he has been making strange noises. He will start opening and closing his mouth rapidly while making these "clicking" noises, then he rushes to the surface of the bowl and appears to take a breath of air. Once he's done this, he seems to be just fine. He does this several times a day. I have never owned a betta that has done this before and its starting to worry me. I change the water in his bowl every week, and I feed him once everyday. I don't know if he has a breathing problem, or if this is something I shouldn't worry about. Please help!

Answer
Hi Chelsea,
 Actually bettas are air-breathing fish.  They are perfectly fine breathing at the surface. They have a special organ called a labyrinth organ that allows them to take a mouthful of air and get the oxygen into their bloodstream.  That is why they can live in stagnant water.  

 So basically, he is perfectly fine.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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