How to Identify Different Betta Fish

Examine the short length a Betta fish’s tail., Identify a long tail length., Determine if a Betta fish has a double tail., Identify a crown tail.

4 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Examine the short length a Betta fish’s tail.

    Betta fishes have a variety of tail types.

    One simple way to identify a Betta fish is by the length of its tail.

    Short tails are common in wild type Bettas, as well as Bettas that are bred to fight.Short-finned Bettas, which are also called Plakats,are sometimes bred to have D-shaped tails.Since female Bettas typically have shorter tails than male Bettas, it can be challenging to determine the sex of short-finned Bettas.
  2. Step 2: Identify a long tail length.

    Some Betta fishes will have long and flowing tails, which can be beautiful to look at.

    Long tails come in different shapes, such as veiled, halfmoon, and delta.

    Veiltail Betta are one of the most common types of Betta fish,and one of the most popular types of pet fish.The veiltail is long and flowing.It arches up and over the body, resembling a veil.The tail is usually asymmetric and broad at its base, and more pointed at its outer edge.The halfmoon tail looks like a half circle, or a capital ‘D.’ The perfect halfmoon shape has a spread of exactly 180° between the top and bottom tail rays.

    Sometimes, the half-moon shape can only be seen when the betta flares.

    Halfmoon tails are usually very fragile.There are also ‘over half-moon’ tails, which extend beyond a 180° tail spread angle.Delta tails are in the shape of a D, but do not achieve a 180° tail spread angle.Delta tails are sometimes called ‘Super Deltas,’ with a tail spread angle of 160° to 179°.The Delta tail usually has rounded edges, but the Super Delta tail tends to have a broad base and a wide end., As the name suggests, Double Tail Betta have two distinct tails.

    Ideally, the two tails are clearly split at the tail base.Double Tail Betta fish usually have a doubling and/or widening of their unpaired fins (dorsal and anal fins).With an even split at the tail base, the tail and unpaired fins should be mirror images of each other.The double tail is sometimes called a ‘full-moon’ tail., The crown tail has reduced webbing and individual tail rays that extend out.Crown tails come in a variety of colors and can be quite striking to observe.Crown Tail Betta are becoming increasingly popular in pet stores.The rays of a crown tail are typically long and straight, but may start to curl in response to unfavorable water conditions.Crown tails may be long or short.

    They are typically shorter on female Bettas than male Bettas.
  3. Step 3: Determine if a Betta fish has a double tail.

  4. Step 4: Identify a crown tail.

Detailed Guide

Betta fishes have a variety of tail types.

One simple way to identify a Betta fish is by the length of its tail.

Short tails are common in wild type Bettas, as well as Bettas that are bred to fight.Short-finned Bettas, which are also called Plakats,are sometimes bred to have D-shaped tails.Since female Bettas typically have shorter tails than male Bettas, it can be challenging to determine the sex of short-finned Bettas.

Some Betta fishes will have long and flowing tails, which can be beautiful to look at.

Long tails come in different shapes, such as veiled, halfmoon, and delta.

Veiltail Betta are one of the most common types of Betta fish,and one of the most popular types of pet fish.The veiltail is long and flowing.It arches up and over the body, resembling a veil.The tail is usually asymmetric and broad at its base, and more pointed at its outer edge.The halfmoon tail looks like a half circle, or a capital ‘D.’ The perfect halfmoon shape has a spread of exactly 180° between the top and bottom tail rays.

Sometimes, the half-moon shape can only be seen when the betta flares.

Halfmoon tails are usually very fragile.There are also ‘over half-moon’ tails, which extend beyond a 180° tail spread angle.Delta tails are in the shape of a D, but do not achieve a 180° tail spread angle.Delta tails are sometimes called ‘Super Deltas,’ with a tail spread angle of 160° to 179°.The Delta tail usually has rounded edges, but the Super Delta tail tends to have a broad base and a wide end., As the name suggests, Double Tail Betta have two distinct tails.

Ideally, the two tails are clearly split at the tail base.Double Tail Betta fish usually have a doubling and/or widening of their unpaired fins (dorsal and anal fins).With an even split at the tail base, the tail and unpaired fins should be mirror images of each other.The double tail is sometimes called a ‘full-moon’ tail., The crown tail has reduced webbing and individual tail rays that extend out.Crown tails come in a variety of colors and can be quite striking to observe.Crown Tail Betta are becoming increasingly popular in pet stores.The rays of a crown tail are typically long and straight, but may start to curl in response to unfavorable water conditions.Crown tails may be long or short.

They are typically shorter on female Bettas than male Bettas.

About the Author

J

Jeffrey Nguyen

Brings years of experience writing about cooking and related subjects.

59 articles
View all articles

Rate This Guide

--
Loading...
5
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0

How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: