What Bettas do you have swimming in your aquarium?
Bettas have become one of the most popular fish to have as a pet or to decorate an aquarium with color. And although there are more common Bettas found in most pet shops, there are others that warrant a closer look.
Here is a list of some of the most popular Bettas our members here at Betta Fish Center have known and loved:
Betta Splendens – A Popular Choice
The most common and easily found of the Bettas is Betta Splendens. Though this is a beautiful fish, examine a variety of Bettas before you decide. Most pet shops will order any Betta they do not normally stock, which could be preferable to buying their stock fish. Many times pet owners have the same fish for a year or more. Considering the relatively short life span of most Bettas (2-3 years), it is probably a good idea to special order them.
Bettas are colorful and beautiful to watch in an aquarium, which is one of the main reasons why they are so popular. But, there are many Bettas that fish lovers aren’t even aware exist, such as:
Siamese Fighting Fish – This is by far the most common Betta you will see in pet stores. They come in a variety of shapes although the caudal fin is what clearly differentiates each species. Some are fan-shaped and some have smooth edges while others form a perfect D shape when in full flare.
Painted Betta – This Betta is usually a gold color, has smaller fins than most others and a round tail. Usually there are three dark stripes that run along the body from head to tail with their fins edged in green.
Brunei Betta – This species also has a rounded tail and small fins but the body color can be gold, pink or white. The pectoral fins are always green with the pink Brunei having a red stripe on its tail.
Peaceful Betta – This fish has a rounded tail with the body being mostly dark with blue-green markings. The characteristic that is recognizable is the bright red on the edge of its tail fin with the dorsal fin mostly a blue-green color with the same color stripes along its body which extends to the tail.
Foershi Betta – In this species, the female is pinkish orange and the male is all orange. He also has splatterings of green with bright orange gills.
Edith’s Betta – The female of this fish is a dull orange with dark and white spots, while the male is a bright orange with dark splotches. They both have a rounded tail and short fins.
Sarawek Betta – This type of Betta has a small, round tail and shorter fins. The male has a dark stripe from head to tail and the female is a dull bronze color.
Pearly Betta – A bright bronze color covers the male of the Pearly and the female has dark splotches with a dull bronze color. Although they also have short fins, their tail is spade-shaped.
Slender Betta – Also having a spade-shaped tail and short fins, the Slender is mostly pink. The female has dark dots on it while the male has touches of green over its body and its fins.
Mouthbrooding Betta – This species has a rounded tail and some of the smallest fins on a Betta. Colors on both male and female vary from grays to reds and oranges and golds. They truly are the color of a rainbow.
Emerald Betta – The Emerald has very large fins although its tail is also rounded. The male and female both have a vibrant green body with a kind of webbing design overlaid on the green in black. The fins are red with green or blue lines running through them.
As you can see, you will have a wide selection when you decide to purchase a Betta Fish. Many times, the pet store will have a catalogue you can browse to get an idea of the color and type of Betta you would prefer. Have fun!
What type of Betta do you have swimming in your aquarium?