Types of Betta Fish – A Guide on Colors, Tails & More

Finding information on uncommon or unique betta fish breeds can be a time-consuming task, not because there is a paucity of data, but it’s the exact opposite problem. There are so many different types of betta fish that it’s daunting for new fish keepers! Therefore, it helps to have a primer like this one to refer to when attempting to figure out the distinctions between bettas.

Bettas have been bred in Europe for over a century for their vibrant, complicated colors and tail configurations. When you mix in some of the newer Thai crosses, your selections for the cutest betta fish get a little dizzying. Below is a comprehensive list of bettas, divided down by species, colors, and tail types.

Types of Betta Fish- Physical Appearances

Banded Round tail, small fins Goldish color
Banded body, greenish splotches
Brunei Rounded tail and small fins
Green border around anal and dorsal fins
Body Color – gold, pink and/or white
Green pectoral fins
Edith’s Round tail
Short fins
Female – orange with dark spots and white spots
Male – brighter orange with dark spots and light spots. Light spots are greenish/blue
Emerald Round tail and large fins
Bright green body with black web design
Pectoral fins are reddish
Foershi’s Round tail and short fins
Female – pink and orange with dark spots
Male – orange with greenish spots on the body
Mouthbrooding Round tail and small fins (sometimes pointed tails)
Colors vary greatly
Painted Round tail, small fins
Gold in color with 3 stripes running horizontally down the body.
Green border around fins
Peaceful Round tail, long pectoral fins
Dark body with bluish marks
The edge of the tail fin is red
Bluish/Green stripes on the tail
Pearly Heart-shaped tail
Betta Fish
Types of Betta Fish - A Guide on Colors, Tails & More 1

Betta Fish Colors

Single Colors

Cellophane The skin has no pigmentation
The fins are translucent
The organs are flesh-colored/give the body its color
Albino Lacks all pigmentation, including the eyes, which appear to be red
Very rare
White Opaque Pure white when young
Develop varying degrees of reds as they age
Yellow Referred to as non-red
Also carries one of the three iridescent colors
Apricot or Peach Yellow pastels
Orange Varies in hue
Dark tangerine
Red Intense red
Normal red, with some black pigments
Steel Blue Metallic blue
One of the three iridescent colors
Royal Blue Another of the three iridescent colors
Darker, with a purple tint
Cornflower Blue Darker head with cornflower blue body
Lavender, Purple, Violet Very rare
Green Another of the three iridescent colors
Least fixed single color
Turquoise Blue/green
Black Resulting from two different genes
Black Melano or Fertile (aka Lace

Bi-colors

Cambodian Flesh-colored body
Fins are usually red
Can also be blue and black
Chocolate The body is dark, black, or dark blue
Fins are yellow
Pastel Different Variations
White body
Fins are green or blue

Patterned

Butterfly One half of the fin is one color and the other half is another.
Marble Body and fins have blotches of color over a light-colored background
Piebald Face is flesh-colored
Body can be any color

Multi-Colored Betta Fish

This is the type that most pet stores carry. There is no predicting the colors of their offspring.

Types of Betta Fish - A Guide on Colors, Tails & More Betta fish,betta types,betta colors,betta tails
Types of Betta Fish - A Guide on Colors, Tails & More 2

Betta Tails

Another thing that distinguishes different Betta splendens from each other is the type of tails that they have. They are listed below.

Comb Grooves at the end, not as pronounced as the Crown
Crown Distinguished spiky grooves at the end
Delta Elegant, very long finnage, rounded
Double Two lobes of equal size with the appearance of being split
Fuse Extremely rare fusion of the caudal, dorsal & anal fins
Halfmoon Very rare rounded tail that is stretched 180 degrees
Heart Partially fused twin caudal fin
Round or Fan Small to medium in size with pronounced rays that lead up to the end of the tail
Short Finnage that is small
Single Common one-lobed
Veil Most common

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *