Puggle Posted September 26, 2005 Report Posted September 26, 2005 Having taken a number of close-up photos recently, we've started noticing these small 'pits' on the heads of bettas. Does anyone know what they are? Mr Puggle says they have the betta equivalent of acne.
Phil Posted September 26, 2005 Report Posted September 26, 2005 Ive no idea, but i have noticed it before. That is a great picture, he looks like he has teeth!
Mishy Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 After looking like a scientist for the last 10 minutes.. i did see holes in all my fish.. LOL... They be teenages.. I'm so proud :dance:
edie Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 darn...how come I can't get that kind of picture!!! It's sooo cooolll... what camera is that? I have no clue about those holes...since I can't even take a distance picture clear enough, let alone a close-up like that :dance:
Bren MacFish Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 Could they be nostrils and other sensors for light and water like a tuatara's third eye?
Em Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 I was thinking something along those lines Bren, though I thought they might be like tastebud/sensor things. It's a mystery!
Puggle Posted September 27, 2005 Author Report Posted September 27, 2005 It takes a lot of patience to get good photos. That's why I'm no good at it and leave it up to Mr P. I do all the waterchanges and feeding and stressing out about diseases. He gets to sit back and watch, and tells me to hurry up with the waterchanges so I can get another fish into the photo tank. Oh, and the camera is a Konica Minolta DiMAGE z20.
Figure_8 Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 There is such a thing as Hole In The Head disease. Normally large fish and gouramis get it, so I would think Bettas are susceptable. Not saying thats what this is though, just thats the only 'disease' or non natural thing I can think of that is similar. Hexamita (hole in the head) is usually caused by parasitic infection and can show up as a whitish pit or whitish pimple All the 'pits' look too uniform in placement and appearance to be something like that though. Maybe they are sensory glands of some description? Great photo!! Absolutely incredible!! ;)
splendidbetta Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 i have read that those holes are caused by some kind of parasite i think a kind of mite. any way, they arnt something for you to be happy about.... very nice clear photos, i must say! i was taking some closeup photos of my fry last night, and i thought they were really cool. but they are nothing compared to this one although my photos seem to be getting right up close, even showing the chromatophores of the fish's head....is that what the pigment cells are called?
splendidbetta Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 actually they do look too uniform in placement. the biggest holes are the 'nostrils' that you can see on a betta normally. the other holes also look too uniform, on both sides of the head. they must be some kinds of Pheromone detecting organs ;)
Figure_8 Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 I don't think its Hexamita Stefan. The placement of the pits matches on both sides of the head. A parasitic infection would make an irregular pattern. EDIT: I type way too slow this morning! ;)
Chuckie Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 They look to me like part of the lateral line and I imagine they perform the same/ a similar function.
splendidbetta Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 i am not sure about them being similar to the lateral line. i think they must be some kind of olfactory sensory organs, to detect odor and pheromones excreted by other bettas....how do you think a betta pair signal to eachother to mate? a pair that recieves chemical messages through the water during conditioning will spawn better than a pair where the female is in a bottle with no holes through which water can travel, thus no exchange of pheromones.... just a thought ;)
fuzzy_dragonfly Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 I think they can be just a natural trait because some of mine have the tiniest of pores in the nose area (not counting the nostrils). Although one morning when I turned on the aquarium light I noticed a small white worm no bigger then a MW slithered into one of the holes. I gave all the fish in that tank worming treatment. The good news is that I have never seen the worm again, although that fish still has the tiny pores in it's head.
Callatya Posted September 27, 2005 Report Posted September 27, 2005 no idea what they are for, but probably a sensory organ of some sort. definately normal And tell Mr Puggle he can come do glamour shots of my fishies any day!
lambo Posted December 8, 2005 Report Posted December 8, 2005 After reading Bren's blog, mabye this is just like the philtrum.
gutter_glitter Posted December 8, 2005 Report Posted December 8, 2005 I would have no idea what they are but I'm commenting on the quality and magnification of that photo. It's intense.
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