Lyarlla Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hi guys and girls, Just wondering if you could help me figure out if my fish is male or female! Months ago I rescued a turquoise betta from a LFS's communal female betta tank. I'd kinda taken pity on it because it was being beaten up, had shredded fins and missing scales and looked half dead. It has a short tail and always shows a white tube making me think it was an ovipositor and therefore believing the fish was female. Since then it has spent time quite happily housed with my other female bettas (Ive never seen it flare at them once), though it is currently living in its own tank. It has now well recovered from the LFS, with a surprising full tail span just shy of 180 degrees and still growing, though still short like a female, though the blue ones are perhaps a tiny bit longer than my other girls' fins. Yesterday while doing water changes I placed the tank momentarily next to one and my boy's and he immediately flared up. I was surprised when my little blue fish began flaring back aggressively with a full flare around its face and stretching its fins out as far as it could. Arent only males meant to have such a full flare all around the face? My other girls never flare so fully. I have also never seen this fish develop vertical bars (unlike my other females). Could the white tube just be its anus? I know sometimes that happens with over feeding, but this fish seems to permanently display it even on fasting day! As for building of bubble nests, all my fish including the girls, make bubble nests. Can anyone help me figure out if its female or a male plakat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I can't be of a lot of help, but I do like pretty photos... One thing, I thought vertical stripes were a specifically -female- thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxBETTAxx Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 From reading your post i would say it is a female .I have females that go bananas when they are next to males especially when it is male they are not used to seeing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Yea but from what Ive read, females dont have such a full flare, the flare isnt meant to be all around the face, thats meant to be a way to identify a male... allegedly :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 have a read of this article I wrote on sexing bettas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hahaha, I did and Im still confused. May show it to the red male again and watch for the reaction *ducks off* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Okay, so Im tending to think its a girl but only based on how it flares straight on rather than to the side. Its rather fancy (and angry!) for a female with double caudal branching and fairly long fins for a girl, possibly why Im confused! Ta! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 It sounds male to me. Have you tried separating it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Its currently being kept in a tank by itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 what does it do when confronted with a mirror? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyarlla Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 It seems really interested but doesnt flare at it - just starts swimming a lot faster. All my other males and females all confronted the mirror and flare at it though! Oh it seems to have blown bubbles all around the sides of the tank, but Ive seen my other females do this on occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettarazzi Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 What does the body shape look like from above? Females are usually slightly wider behind the pectorals. Males are slimmer. Have a look at fish that you are certain what their gender are. How does the body shape compare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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