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 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.

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