Chanda

T YPES OF B ETTAS Shown are the Half-moon, Rose Tail, Delta Tail, Round Tail, Veil Tail, Spade Tail, Double Tail, Crown Tail, and lastly “Clown Tail” Bettas.

H ALF M OON B ETTA In order for a betta to be considered a half moon betta, its tail fin must have a spread of ONLY 180°

R OSE T AIL B ETTA Rose tail bettas occur when all three fins have excessive branching and over lay

D ELTA B ETTA Delta Bettas are usually confused as halfmoon bettas, however, delta bettas do not have a 180° tail fin span.

R OUND T AIL B ETTA Round tail bettas are those that do not need any form of breeding to appear, thus they are considered the “wild form”. Tail sizes vary from small to large.

V EIL T AIL D ELTA A betta is considered to have a “veil tail” if it droops.

S PADE T AIL BETTA Spade tail bettas are now very rare, they have the shape of a spade, you know like on dealing cards.

D OUBLE T AIL B ETTA Bettas are called double tailed when there is a split or crease in the tail fin. It is also possible to have a betta with only one (fused) fin or multiple splits(triple) in the tail fin.

C ROWN T AIL B ETTA A crown tail betta is similar to a delta tail betta, however the ends of each fin is choppy and split ( resembling a crown).

“C LOWN T AIL ” B ETTA A clown tail is any Crown tail betta with a defective outcome during the breeding process.

O THER TYPES OF BETTAS There are many different forms of betta which all come from cross breeding of specific types of bettas, such as the Half sun Betta, which is bred from a comb tail(not shown) and a half moon betta.

D IET AND P REDATORS Betta diets - In their natural habitats, bettas will eat insects or insect larvae that come in contact with the surface of the water. They also eat living foods, such as smaller fish. When kept in an aquarium or fish bowl they can adapt to eating flake foods and frozen and freeze dried foods Predators - The betta predators include any fish eating bird or larger fish. However people do not eat bettas, they keep them as pets.

H ABITAT Betta fish usually live in shallow warm waters, they are tropical fish and must live in waters AT LEAST 75 degrees Fahrenheit(24 degrees Celsius). Bettas will become complacent if the water is too cold, so if a betta becomes slow and nonresponsive, the water must be changed. They live where there is a lot of vegetation so they can escape from aerial predators by hiding amongst the underwater foliage.

B REEDING The male betta will prepare a bubble nest for his eggs on the surface of the water. The female dispatches the eggs and the male fertilizes and protects the eggs. The female should be removed as the male becomes aggressive as it cares for the eggs. The eggs hatch after a day or two and feed off of their eggs yolk sack. When they begin to swim the male should also be removed as it may eat its young and the newly hatched fish should be fed baby brine shrimp or very fine baby food.

U NIQUE CHARACTERISTICS The name “Siamese fighting fish spawns from the males’ need to protect its territory and must be kept separate from other fish When a male betta begins to blow bubbles it means it is ready to reproduce Colors intensify as the male begins to court Females are not aggressive toward other fish. The coloring of the female betta is not as exuberant as that of the male betta. A female and male will only fight if placed together before the female is ready to reproduce. Male BettasFemale bettas

S UMMARY Bettas are found in tropical areas with shallow water. Fin types are created through cross breeding of recessive and dominant traits Males and females have unique character traits Although fatherly at first, bettas can prey upon their young if kept in the tank for too long. Bettas are seen as oxymoron's; the more beautiful the fish, the tougher it is.

S OURCES Siamese Fighting Fish etta.htm Freshwater Aquarium/Bettas /Bettas-6.htm WHAT TYPES OF BETTAS ARE THERE?