Tail and Fin Forms In Betta Splendens

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Tail and Fin Forms In Betta Splendens
By: Setsuna
Photos by Victoria Parnell


A guide to the different tail and fin forms available in Betta splendens

When I was little, my mum would ask me if I wanted to go down to the shops with her. My answer was always yes, on condition that while she did the shopping I could spend the time in the pet shop watching all the �pretty fighting fish�. As time went on, I eventually was able to bargain with my mum that if I could keep a pair of goldfish alive for a year I could get a fighter for my seventh birthday. She agreed and so I spend the next year of my life caring for those goldfish like a child possessed.

When the time for me to get a fighter arrived I was so excited! Mum took me to the pet shop and I picked the prettiest one there. His name was Rainbow. I didn�t know at the time, but he was a red veil tail. From that moment on I was hooked. As I was banned from having a tropical tank by my mother, she believed they costed too much to run, Rainbow and all that followed had to live in cold water.

Since those early days I have owned many veil tails and learnt, through trial and error, most of what I know today.

Betta Splendens now come in a plethora of colors and fin types. This article is here to help you to distinguish a halfmoon from a super delta.

Veil Tail Betta
The most widely-available longfin form in bettas is inarguably the Veil Tail Betta (or VT). This is the natural form the fins take when they are artificially lengthened from the wild shortfin form with selective breeding. This is the type of fins usually seen in pet shops. Though attractive in its own right, it is generally considered undesireable among those breeding for show-quality form. In fact, the IBC (International Betta Congress) doesn"t even have classes for Veil Tails any longer, and it has become a sentiment of negativity to describe any high-bred Betta of "going veil-ish".

The Veil Tail Betta has a caudal that tends to arch and then slope downward, like a wedding veil.


Spade Tail Betta
You don"t see Spade Tail Bettas very much anymore, though they were more easily found in the early "90s.

This tail form is pretty basic; the caudal has a wide base that narrows to a delicate point, like a spade.



Double Tail Betta
The Double Tail Betta is also known as DT or DTM (doubletail male), and DTF (doubletail female). They are a cultivated mutation that gives the fish a dorsal fin equal in length to the anal fin, and two distinct caudal lobes. Often it also produces a thicker-bodied fish with a wider backside, or deformities such as crooked spines.

Breeding DT into regular single tail or HM lines is widely practiced because of the advantages the gene brings, such as wider dorsals and better branching. It is always recommended to cross DT to a single tailed type only, since DT x DT often produces deformed fish


Round Tail Betta

These tails are overwhelmingly prevalent, yet they are rarely called by what they are. Roundtails are single-tailed bettas with rounded edges, and are often confused with the delta tail and even the super delta tail. Even when not given the mistaken terminology, you will not often find them listed under Roundtail, but under ST - "Single Tail".


Delta Tail Betta
Delta Tail is a term often misused to describe any single-tailed non-HM betta. The true Delta tail has straight caudal edges like a HM or SDT, but they extend outwards from the back of the fish and don"t arch straight up into HM. Delta tail does have a solid genotype, meaning spawning delta to delta will produce all deltas, with perhaps a few super deltas and even halfmoons.



Super Delta Tail Betta
This form is also known as Super Delta, SDT, or HMx. It is basically an enhanced version of the standard Delta Tail, and some are just shy of being full HM. This is a very beautiful tail, and often more pleasant to have than HM, since there are not as many worries about the tail collapsing, or the fish having difficulty in swimming and spawning, or blowing fins. They are also available much more reasonably than true HM, and will usually produce some HM offspring if they come from a HM spawn.


Halfmoon Betta
The Halfmoon (or HM) is the hottest tail form going today, and with good reason. These guys look great even when not flaring, and when the do flare the effect is astounding; a huge tail that spreads straight up and straight down, full dorsal, and symmetrical anal fin. They are quite an accomplishment in Betta form.

Specifically, a halfmoon Betta must have a caudal where both ends are exactly 180 degrees apart or more, spreading towards the front. Caudal edges have to be straight or curving outwards, and not bending inwards.
There are a few important things to strive for when breeding for a Halfmoon betta:
1.) Symmetry - the body line that cuts and seperates the caudal into half.
2.) Balance - the ability to draw an arc that begins from the caudal and encompasses the dorsal and anal without hitting a snag.
3.) 180 degree caudal with straight and crisp edges.


Few people disagree with the above statements. The only area of disagreement, or rather a difference in opinion exists in the "proportion",i.e. the caudal/body ratio. When caudal/body is less than 1, you get an "oval shape"(OS). But when caudal=body or caudal/body is 1, you have a "circle"(CS). The OS Halfmoons are good, but the CS Halfmoons are truly exceptional, and an excellent model to aspire to.


Rosetail Betta
The quest for the perfect halfmoon by selectively breeding for branching and straight caudal edges has given rise to a new development in the Betta splendens tailforms - the Rosetail.

The main characteristic of the rosetail is the excessive branching in all three unpaired fins, especially the excessive branching and the overlapping rays in the caudal, which produces a "rose-like" appearance. The extreme form of Rosetail can produce the very unique "Feathertail" betta. A breeder using Rosetail bettas in their halfmoon lines has to be particularly careful of excess - fish who cannot swim properly, or who carry the trait into the mutation that has been coined "X-Factor Fish" - fish with poor scales, shorter ventrals and collapsing fins.


Plakat Betta
The Plakat (pronounced Pluh-COT, not "plackit") is just the shortfinned version of the common Betta Splendens. There are wild-type plakats (which look like the bettas caught in their natural habitats), Traditional Show plakats (symmetrical wild-type fins with some enhancement), Modern Show plakats (multi-branching caudals, extended dorsals, longer anals/ventrals, cultivated colors) and Fighter plakats (bettas that have been selectively bred for fighting ability, such as aggression, sharper teeth, harder scales and longevity).

Plakats are generally more active than the longfinned version, not being hampered down with excessive fins. This, along with their resistence to disease, makes them a favorite among Betta enthusiasts and collectors.


Crowntail Betta
The Crowntail was founded 1997 in West Jakarta, Slipi, Indonesia. The webbing between the fin rays is reduced, producing the appearance of spikes or prongs, hence the name "Crown Tail". The crowntail trait can be found in bettas of any tail type and shape. For instance it can be seen in VT, D, SD, HM and DT. The ideal according to IBC standards is a fish with a perfect 50% reduction in all three unpaired fins (caudal, dorsal, anal) that can spread to 180 degrees. The crowntail gene is partially dominant, affecting the offspring as early as the F1 by producing an intermediary webbing reduction ("Combtail"). CT x CT will produce 100% CTs



Combtail and Half Sun Betta
The Combtail Betta is a fringe-finned type that usually arises as a result of a cross between a ST (singletail, non-fringe betta) and a CT (crowntail, fringe-finned betta). Instead of having the minimum 33% reduction in webbing that designates a true Crowntail, the Combtail has a slightly spikey appearance.

Breeding CT x HM has also given rise to the development of what is commonly called a HALF SUN -- Combtail Halfmoon. This is a very beautiful type.

Combtails can be shown in Open classes. As long as the fringe-effect is present on all three unpaired fins (dorsal, anal and caudal) the fish is not penalized.


Source : http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/

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THE STORY OF THE HALFMOON

Part 1: THE STORY OF BETTA SPLENDENS:
Bettas have been bred selectively for about the last 50 years to improve the finnage. Many breeders in America and Europe set about
improving the finnage through selective breeding.

The early betta were imported from Thailand, Singapore and other south east Asian countries. These fish had slightly elongated fins. That
is the caudal (tail fin) were a little longer than on the plakat betta, which is short finned and had been bred by Thais to fight against each
other. Huge bets were made and houses, wives and money often changed hands.

The most important breeder in the 50's was Warren Young. He bred fish with superior size and long veil tail fins. Each of the single fins,
like the dorsal, caudal and anal fin were as long as the body length. These fish were called Libby Bettas after Warren's wife Libby.

In the 60's, Edward Schmidt Focke of Germany was able to breed the first Delta fish from the Thai bettas. His fish were not as long finned
as the libby Bettas, but had broad fins like the modern day bettas and the tail or caudal fin was Delta shaped.

In 1967 the IBC (International Betta Congress) was formed by a group of betta breeders. The IBC aimed to breed fish with fins that were
broad and symmetrical instead of long. These fish were able to swim better than those with fins that were long.

By the 80's the IBC breeders like Parris Jones, Peter Goettner and others were breeding fishes which we would call the Super-Delta (fish
with round tails and lots of volume).


Part 2 : THE TRUE STORY OF THE HALFMOON:

In the early 80's, Guy Delaval and some other breeders imported these fish to France.

Guy Delaval selected bred these fish for more angle on the tail fins and in 1987 he had a few fish that had a caudal fin of 180°. At the show
in France Rajiv Masillamoni saw these fishes and realised that Guy Delaval had come up with the impossible. Up until this time the angle
of caudal fins were about 160° maximum and they could not swim as well or were not as symetrical as the halfmoon caudal fish.

Laurent Chenot and Rajiv Masillamoni joined in trying to preserve these fish. They tried to breed these fish, but they were too inbred and
would not breed. The male did not build a bubble nest and did not even know how to wrap around the female. The female however would
breed. Rajiv and Laurent did many spawns with pet shop fish and fish of various lines. A fish that came out of these crosses had a female
of Delaval as mother and a black double tail male from American lines as father: This fish was called R39.

This fish was bred by Rajiv Masillamoni to all of the females of his and Laurent Chenot lines. Some Halfmoons turned up and Laurent
and Rajiv continued breeding hard.

In 1991 Jeff Wilson (an American breeder who had earlier been breeding dogs).saw the fish he called them
Halfmoons...Rajiv thought that it was an apt name.

Jeff and Rajiv would ship our good fish by plane over the Atlantic, this way we kept putting the best Halfmoons genes into fish and we were
getting Halfmoons more often in the spawns...almost a few in every spawn.

In 1993 there was an IBC convention in Tampa Florida. We showed under the name CHENMASWIL and we won best of show with the
Halfmoon fish. This fish was shown on the cover of Fama magazine in America and set the Halfmoon craze loose. Every breeder in
America started breeding from these Halfmoons.

Source: http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233396

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Bringing Your Betta Fish Home

The betta fish, more commonly known as the Siamese Fighting Fish, is a popular freshwater fish because of its brilliant colors and relatively easy care (wild betta fish live in small, dirty puddles, so they are pretty hardy). Betta fish care does entail some special considerations that are unique to betta fish (especially a male betta fish) in order to keep him or her happy and healthy.

Things You'll Need

It is best to have a home for your betta fish ready to go before he arrives from the pet store. There are a couple recommended setups for betta fish:

* an individual small tank for one betta fish, 1/2 gallon or larger
* a glass or plastic fish bowl for one betta fish, 1/2 gallon or larger
* a divided tank for several male or female betta fish
* a community tank for one male or several female betta fish


Regardless of which setup you choose, you will need:

* betta fish food
* aquarium gravel
* a live plant or plastic plant
* a net and siphon or gravel vacuum
* a pH test kit


Also recommended:

* basic freshwater test kits especially ammonia test kits
* an aquarium thermometer, and if your tank is 5 gallons or above, a heater
* water conditioners, stress relief, and medications for betta care
* A tablespoon of freshwater aquarium salt
* a separate bucket or container for preparing water

Preparing the Tank

Water
There are three obvious options when filling the tank with water.

Tap water is generally safe for your betta fish, but should be left standing for 24 hours in order to condition it and bring it to room temperature. If your city has especially hard water, you may want water treatment chemicals to remove chlorine and other contaminants.

Bottled water varies as much as tap water does, and if you choose to use it, be sure to stick to one particular brand. If you do decide to change brands, make the change gradual, adding a bit of the new water to the old water over a couple of days. Using betta conditioners is still a good idea.

Distilled water should be avoided.

The PH level of your water source is important to measure and adjust as needed (betta buffers do this for you). The betta fish prefers as close to neutral water as possible, 7.0, but can manage in water that is between 6.5 and 7.5

The temperature of the water is also important, as the betta fish is considered a tropical fish. Water between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal but the betta can adapt to lower or higher temperatures as long as the change is gradual.

One way to tell if the water is too hot or too cold is by watching the betta fish's behavior. A sluggish, listless fish is likely too cold and a hyperactive fish (unless it is feeding time) indicates water that is too hot.

Gravel and plants
Plants help keep your aquarium stress-free for your betta fish, who likes to rest on the leaves, while gravel make the tank or bowl look more attractive to humans. Make sure you buy aquarium gravel as ordinary rocks from the street or your backyard will not do. Plastic aquarium gems will also be fine.

Before adding the gravel to the aquarium, rinse it in a separate container, changing the water out and repeating until it remains clear.

Live plants can be bought as bulbs from the pet store or you can prop up some artificial plants in the gravel.

Filters, heaters, and maintenance
Aquarium filters and Aquarium heaters are not needed for tanks less than 5 gallons and actually should be avoided.

The gravel in your tank should provide adequate biological filtration in this setup. Everything should be fine as long as you change the water frequently and remove excess food and debris immediately.

For a tank smaller than a gallon, change 100% of the water once a day or at least 3x/week. For a larger tank, do partial water changes of 25% of water a week. Be sure to siphon or vacuum your gravel when you change your water.

Because the betta fish breathes at the surface of the water, the water does not need to be aerated either. In fact, aeration and circulation may create too much flow for your betta, who are not accustomed to having to swim very hard.

If you do buy a heater for your aquarium, invest in a thermometer as well. Monitor the temperature of the water carefully, as extreme or fluctuating temperatures can kill your betta fish.

Acclimating the Betta Fish
Your betta fish will likely come from a different water environment than what you have waiting for it, so it's very important to ease him through the transition without shocking him. Follow these steps closely to avoid harming your fish on his first day home:

1. Keep the fish away from direct sunlight and cold air vents on the way home. Bring him home immediately, do not leave him in the car for longer than necessary.
2. Float the bag or jar that your betta fish came home in inside the aquarium or fish bowl you already have set up. This will make the temperature change more gradual. Let it float for some time.
3. Cut open the bag and add a little bit of aquarium water to the bag. Keep the bag floating in the aquarium for about thirty more minutes. (You can use a clothespin to clip the bag to the side to prevent it from sinking).
4. Continue adding a bit more aquarium water to the bag. Repeat this step until the bag is mostly aquarium water. Depending on the differences in pH level between your water and the pet stores water, you may want to take this step a bit slower.
5. Release your fully adjusted betta fish into his new home.


Feeding Your Betta Fish

How much to feed your betta fish
Adult betta fish should be fed once a day and babies should be fed twice a day. It is extremely important not to overfeed the fish. Keep an eye on them as they eat and remove any food that is uneaten when they are done.
Generally, a betta fish should take about two to five minutes to fill up, so avoid feeding them more than they can eat in that time.
What to feed your betta fish
Betta fish prefer live food, but feeding them freeze dried food is a more convenient and affordable alternative. There is special betta food available for daily staple feeding, but always supplement with freeze-dried mosquito larvae - called "bloodworms", or brine shrimp.
Live Food
Mosquito larvae are the betta fish's natural food. Red mosquito larvae are called "bloodworms". Live brown worms and bloodworms are enjoyable to betta fish, but are notorious agents of disease and bacteria, as are most live foods. If you decide to feed live worms to your betta, be sure to wash worms thoroughly. Never feed your betta fish worms from the garden or caught in the wild as they may have been subjected to pesticides.

Brine shrimp are also a favorite food of betta fish, and make a good occasional treat for the fish to be fed in moderation. You can feed them freeze dried brine shrimp or hatch them yourself from eggs.

Frozen food
Frozen food is a safer alternative to live food, although still not as easy as freeze-dried.

Tips on food and feeding

* The betta fish, as most fish, can go a couple days without eating, so don't worry about leaving for the weekend. But if you leave for a longer period of time, be sure to have someone feed the fish (or use a time-release food block, or automatic feeder) and clean their water (if smaller than 5 gallons it will need cleaning at least once a week).
* It is good practice to skip a day of feeding once a week, as it gives the betta fish's digestive system time to recover and clean itself out.
* IMPORTANT: While betta fish will stop eating dried or frozen food once full, they will continue eating as long as there is live food in their aquarium. Thus it is extremely important not to overfeed them with live food, as they will literally eat themselves to death.
* If your betta fish develops a paunch, or an overpronounced belly, you may be overfeeding it. Conversely, if he appears gaunt or thin, he may have an infection or need more food.


Cleaning Your Betta Fish's tank
The most important aspects of keeping your betta fish healthy and happy is keeping its tank clean. If you are keeping them in an unfiltered bowl or tank over a gallon, change 25% of the water once a week (if smaller, change all the water 3-7x/week - it's nearly impossible to change the water too often in a bowl of that size). You should also remove any debris or uneaten food immediately between feedings.
How to clean the tank

1. Draw enough tap water to refill the tank 24 hours in advance.
2. Remove your fish from his tank with a net and place him in a tall glass filled with the old tank water.
3. Drain the tank. Wipe down the sides of the tank, removing any buildup.
4. Rinse gravel thoroughly and replace.
5. Rinse the tank thoroughly if you used any cleaners or soap.
6. Refill the tank and gently reintroduce the betta fish.
7. Disinfect your net.


Other Tips for Betta Fish Care

* Males should always be kept away from other betta fish, especially other males. They are highly territorial and will fight to the death.
* If introducing a betta fish to a community of fish, avoid inhabiting them with fin nippers or other fish that might irritate or feed on the slow-moving betta fish.
* Occasionally place a mirror in front of a male beta fish for some entertaining exercise. However, do not leave the mirror in place for long, as it will exhaust him!
* Keep tanks covered. Bettas can jump out of a bowl or a jar. Some plastic or a sheet of transparency paper works fine.
* Taking good care of your betta fish means he could live from 2-4 years! Enjoy your feisty friend and keep him in good health.


Source : http://www.aquariumguys.com/

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