The Origin of Betta Fish and Their Breed Variations Explained
by: Mike Hickmon
The beautiful colors of Betta Fish that catch our eye did not exist when the species was first discovered. Due to the fact that the Siamese people were solely interested in their fighting ability, breeding practices concentrated more on building endurance, strength, and the typical aggressive attitude that they posses. Most of the Betta Fish in those days were short-finned, so as to give their opponents less to grab on to, and had a greenish-brown color.
In 1840, when the King of Siam made a gift to Cantor, most Betta Fish colors very plain. By the time the Betta Fish began appearing up in North America, some had begun to develop rounded tails and longer fins. Some also developed specks of bright colors.
There are seems to be basic color genes either present or missing in the Beta Fish. The Base color is yellow, which is followed by black, red and then blue. There are also sub colors. The blue gene, for example, can be represented by royal blue, metallic blue, or bluish green. The beautiful royal blue is really a mixture of the other blues.
If you spend some time with Betta Fish experts and you will hear terms like "Veil Tail," "Delta Tail," "Crown Tail," and "Half Moon" hearing all of this you might become confused. So we will give you a quick introduction to the various lines of the glorious Betta Splendens. Actually, the basic difference among the types of Bettas has to do with their tail.
Veil Tail - About 80% of Betta Fishs sold in pet stores are typically VT males. Veil Tail's are characterized by the bottom fin rays being a bit longer than the top rays. What are Rays? Rays are the little "spines" you see in the fins. With the fins flared out, VT Betta Fish look a bit rectangular or even diamond shaped. Most breeders and Betta care show enthusiasts frown on the VT Betta as an inferior breed. I believe that they are incorrect because I think that the VT Betta Fishs multiple colors and wavy fins are one of the true miracles of creation.
Round Tail - The tail is round in appearance. The circular shape originates from the middle ray of the tail being the longest, with the remaining rays being progressively shorter away from the middle.
Delta Tail - The tail has a triangular shape, which emanates from the outermost rays on the tail being equal in length as the middle ray. In Betta Fish circles the widest tailed of the delta tails are the most desired.
Half Moons - A Delta Tail's tail can be so wide that it seems to form a half circle, or half moon shape. At this point it becomes known as the Half Moon Betta Fish. Half Moons Betta Fishs are popular among hard-core Betta enthusiasts.
Double Tails - These cute little fish have their tail divide into two halves. Double Tails are genetic rarities that you probably will never find at a pet store.
Crown Tails - With this Betta the rays of the tail actually extend well past the webbing, this gives the tail a spiky appearance. The Crown Tails are the most common among the single rayed. After this breeders bred double rayed Crown Tails which then had tail rays branching off. Since then breeders have developed "double double rays" and "double double double ray" Crown Tails, which are the scarcest and costliest Betta Fishes you can buy.
We hope that this information was of help to you and that it will be beneficial for your Betta Fish care needs.
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