Elegant, colorful and very striking, are just some of the features that most characterize the betta splendens fish but, are they their own? the females or the males? How can we differentiate between them? We will solve these and more questions in this article on our site, in which we will show the physical characteristics that differentiate both genders, as well as the behavioral traits that can also help us identify the sex of each fish.
The betta fish, popularly known as the Siamese fighter, belonging to the Anabantidae family, also stands out for being one of the most aggressive fish, both with fish of the same species and with specimens of other different species. Therefore, knowing their care and needs is essential to enjoy a happy and stress-free animal. And for this, the first thing is to identify the sex of the fish, so read on and discover how to tell if your betta fish is male or female
Types of betta splendens fish
Although we usually refer to all betta fish with this name, the truth is that there are different types, each with a different morphology. Thus, before going on to indicate how to differentiate a male betta fish from a female, it is important to learn to identify the type of betta fish that we have before us to offer you the best care. Currently, we find more than 10 types of betta, however, the most common in aquariums are the following:
- Betta splendens veiltail fish or veil tal betta. It is usually the most common and is characterized by a veil-shaped caudal fin.
- Halfmoon tail betta splendens fish or halfmoon betta. One of the most striking bettas, it has a spectacular rounded caudal and dorsal fins that, extended, form a D or crescent.
- Betta splendens crowntail fish or crowntail. It differs from other betta fish by the spikes or rays found on its fins and tail, creating an image similar to a crown.
- Betta splendens fish double tail or double tail. Despite its name, what this betta has is a caudal fin with the bones divided in two, simulating a "split tail" or "double".
Despite the existence of so many species of betta, all males and all females have common physical characteristics that help us differentiate them[1]. We show them below.
Features of male betta fish
In general, differentiating an adult male from an adult female betta fish is usually a simple task, the complication lies when both are still very young. So, we will have to wait for them to reach sexual maturity and then look at the colors of the fish and the size of their fins.
Physical traits that differentiate them
Once they reach adulthood, the male betta fish, regardless of the type to which it belongs, is more voluminous than the female, this being the first visible difference between the two. Also, the dorsal, caudal and anal fins are much more showy than those of the female, not only in size but also in color. In this way, the male betta tends to wear colors that are more vibrant, striking and beautiful than the female, with red, blue and green being the most common (but not the only ones).
On the other hand, and although this is a more difficult trait to perceive with the naked eye, the betta fish has a membrane located just below the gills, with a black or dark brown tone, known as " beard". In males, this beard is much more noticeable and we can see it when the fish is in dominant mode before another male. In females, we can hardly see it because it is smaller and does not usually extend it.
Differential behavior
Regarding the personality and behavior of these fish, the male has a much more aggressive attitude than the female when he meets before another male and feels the need to fight for one or more females in the same territory. For this reason, it is not recommended to bring together more than one male in the same aquarium, since the result would be a fight between them. Likewise, if you intend to breed betta fish, you should not join the male with the female without an adequate presentation, since the male could also attack her. In this case, the ideal is to separate the aquarium by means of a glass, for example, and place both specimens in their respective parts so that they can be observed without touching.
When the male feels he is ready to mate, He will form a bubble nest, which will attract the female and take her for granted. started the courtship process.
Female Betta Fish Characteristics
As we said, until sexual maturity is reached, it is extremely difficult to know if a betta fish is male or female. However, once obtained, the differences between them are really visible.
Physical traits that differentiate them
As we pointed out in the previous section, male bettas are bulkier, so females are thinner than males. males. This does not mean that they necessarily have a shorter body, since we can find males and females with a similar or equal body length, but rather that females tend to be slimmer.
The colors of the female bettas tend to be more muted and discreet, going much more unnoticed than the bright and raised tones of the males. Likewise, although the fins of the females have the same characteristics as the males in terms of shape, such as the presence of rays in the crowntail, they differ in size. Thus, female bettas have smaller caudal, anal, and dorsal fins
And if none of the above traits help us to differentiate a male from a female betta fish, we will have to try to find the ovipositor tube of the females, located in the lower part of the fish and where the eggs are produced. This part appears to the human eye as a rounded white spot or dot, located between the ventral and anal fins.
Differential behavior
In general, females usually less aggressive than males and several can live together in the same aquarium, as long as they comply with the suitable conditions of size and environmental enrichment. However, this does not mean that there can be no occasional altercation between them due to hierarchical issues.
