Different Types of Betta Fish or Siamese Fighting Fish

Betta fish is a common name amongst the aquarist. With their varied color and shapes, they quickly gain the attention of the viewers whether it is adults or children. Many types of Bettas are found in the wild that can be classified based on their patterns, colors, and shape of tails.

These above qualities make them famous among freshwater fishes. They are ideal for both beginners and experienced aquarists. But newcomers often avoid them because of their aggressive behavior.

If you keep them in a good environment with compatible fishes and feed well, they won’t create any mess for you. We are here to help you figure out which betta fish types or betta fish species are ideal for your tank. To know more keep reading till the end.

Types of Betta Fish

There are different kinds of betta fish.

Types of betta fish

Bettas are small fish with a magnificent personality and are commonly found with a beginner. They have an aggressive nature and hence they are also called Siamese Fighting fish.

Apart from their beauty, another reason for their popularity is their need for low maintenance. Crossbreeding of Betta has become common over the years. This is the reason they are found in so many astounding colors with different tail patterns.

Bettas can create bubble nests and are intelligent enough to recognize their owner. Another interesting thing about them is that they have a labyrinth organ that helps them to breathe the air outside the tank. Their gills are not enough to absorb oxygen underwater.

We can classify Betta based on their shapes, the pattern of tails, and colors. They have many variations like a tail can be long or short and their body can have multicolored patterns or a single bold color. Bettas are the only fish that comes in such a huge variety of colors.

Betta Fish Tails

The tail is the most striking characteristic of any fish, the same is the case of Betta. Their tails are often characterized by their size and shape.

Some of their tails are huge flowy while some are short and spiky. Some of them match the color and pattern of the body whereas some have entirely different patterns making them more attractive to look at.

Crowntail, Veiltail, and Halfmoon are the names of their large and majestic tails while Plakat is the name of the shorter ones.

These names are easy to remember and magnificent to look at. You can select the color and tail type of your choice and add variety to your tank.

Crowntail Betta Fish

Crowntail betta fish

This famous Betta, founded by Ahmad Yusuf, came into existence 25 years ago in Indonesia.

The word ‘crown’ gives the feel of royalty in the same manner, Crowntail Betta has a magnificent royal appearance. It has long spikey fins that resemble the crown as suggested by the name.

There are many similarities between Crowntail and Combtail Betta. Both their tails have similar looks except for the length. The tail of the Combtail is longer than that of Crowntail Betta.

The male and female Crowntail Bettas are quite different. The male Crowntail looks more attractive with its long tail and brighter colors than that of female Crowntail.

Veiltail Betta Fish

Veiltail betta fish

Veiltail Betta has a dominant characteristic therefore they are easy to breed. Their tail has a long downwards swooping appearance which looks like a veil and hence the name Veiltail.

This long flowing tail Betta comes in many color variations and gives a remarkable appearance to them. They are easily available and common to all aquarists whether it’s a beginner or experienced.

Just like Crowntail, their males have more majestic features than that of their females. The females are rarely found in bright colors and always have short fins and tails as compared to the males.

Plakat Betta Fish

Plakat betta fish

The word Plakat is derived from the Thai word “plakad” which means “fighting fish”. This breed is the common betta found in the wild and they are bred for fighting, as well.

These fishes are quite different than the other Betta in their appearance. They have short fins with a short and round tail as compared to other Bettas. But the magnificent color of the males is what gives the uniqueness and makes famous.

Halfmoon Betta Fish

Red rose tail halfmoon betta fish

This Betta came into existence in the 1980s and soon reached Europe to become famous around the globe.

This betta has a long flowing tail in the shape of half-circle giving it a look of a magnificent half-moon. This breed is not found in the wild but grown by experts in the captivity to exhibit in the Betta show.

Another reason is their aggression which can become quite challenging for the beginners to handle.

Double Tail Betta Fish

Double tail betta fish

As the name suggests this breed of Betta comes with two tails connected to its base.

This characteristic is common in the Betta of the different breeds but is seen dominantly in the Double Tail Betta only.

It has a small body with massive and long dorsal fins which give them a magnificent and attractive look.

Elephant Ear Betta/Dumbo Betta Fish

Elephant ear betta or dumbo betta fish

This Betta, also known as Dumbo Betta, has two long pectoral fins in the shape of an elephant’s ears. It can be fun to look but this characteristic brings uniqueness to them.

They can be found in wild but the colors are usually dull like brown, grey, or dark green. However, the ones bred by experts in captivity are available in more vibrant colors like bright blue, yellow, turquoise, and red.

Delta Tail Betta Fish

Delta tail betta fish

The Tail of this Betta is wider on the edges and starts to narrow down as it reaches the body. The edges are uniform and don’t have any comb or crown-like structure. The tail looks like a triangle resembling the famous Greek symbol, delta. Hence they are called delta tail bettas.

There is one more variation in Delta Tail Betta and is known as Super Delta. It has a long tail that can make 180o flare. The delta tail is quite larger than that of any other Betta.

Rosetail Betta Fish

Rosetail betta

Rosetail Betta belongs to the category of half-moon tail Bettas. But instead of the tail, this Betta has long flowing caudal fins.

These fins have branching features with a flare larger than 180o. These unique features make the caudal fin look like a rose.

Feathertail Betta belongs to the same family but their tails have a more ruffled and branchy look.

Other Tail Types

Roundtail, Combtail, over-Halfmoon, Feathertail, Half-sun, super delta tail, and spadetail are some more tail types found in Bettas.

  • Combtail betta fish as discussed above is similar to Crowntail but with a difference in their lengths and features. Combtail’s tail is longer and has richer look.
  • Similarly, Roundtail betta fish and super delta tails are the same as Delta tails but with a difference in the shape and length of their tail’s edge. The Roundtails have a round edge and super delta has longer flare.
  • Spadetail betta fish the name suggests looks similar to the spade of a deck of card. This tail has a perfectly round shape with pointy edges.
  • The over-Halfmoon betta fish is the same as Halfmoon but with over 180o flare that reaches up to the body.
  • The half sun betta fish is the result of the breeding of half moon and crown fish. It has a long wavy tail like half-moon betta and spiky edges like Crowntail betta fish.

Betta Fish Colors

Bettas are available in many vibrant colors. Some of them have mixed colors while some come with solid colors.

They are available in all the colors of the rainbow and also in white, black, electric blue, green, translucent skin, copper, and more.

Purple Betta Fish

Purple betta fish

Purple is the rarest color for betta. The strikes of purple or mixed purple color are quite common in Betta but the true purple-colored Betta is a rare betta fish.

They usually have a rich purple body with different colored fins and face. But, sometimes they are also found in a rich blueish-purple body with highlights of other colors like black or copper.

They are available in a variety of tail types and patterns for you to choose the one that suits you best.

Black Orchid Betta Fish

Black orchid betta fish

The Black Orchid Betta has an overall dark appearance with purple or blue highlights along the body. Black Orchid Bettas are found in three variations, that are Black Lace, Melano, and Metallic.

The black metallic variation has opalescent scales with copper coloration and translucent appearance.

Rose Petal Betta Fish

Rosetail betta

These Bettas are rarest to find and have an entirely strange look. They come in many variations. The most common one has a dark face and an electric light blue colored body. The most common variation of this Betta is generally dark blue or copper-colored.

Blue Betta Fish

Blue betta fish

Bettas are available in many shades of blue. Some of them have a dull appearance like the ones with steel blue. This color almost looks greyish giving a boring look to the Betta.

In contrast, some Betta comes in shades of Royal blue adding attractiveness to their appearance. It gives them a more royal and richer look.

Red Betta Fish

Red betta fish
Red betta fish

Most of the Bettas are found in the red coloration. It is either bold red covering the whole body of the Betta or sometimes just vibrant highlights on the body or fins of different colored Bettas.

If the color of your red betta is looking washed off, then it can be an indication of their poor health, poor diet, or stress due to abnormal water conditions.

For the consistent bright color, make sure your betta is healthy and you are feeding them with the right diet.

Pink Betta Fish Fish

Pink betta fish

These bettas are also having variation in their colors. Some of them have bright pink color adding richness to their appearance while others can have streaks or highlights of other colors like purple, red or white on their tails, fins, and pink body.

Some of them also have a light pink color which gives the translucent appearance and usually confused with albino variation. These variations look like there is no pigment in their body and only the flesh is visible.

Yellow Betta Fish

Elephant ear betta or dumbo betta fish

Yellow is the most common color found in the betta fishes. They also have many variations but generally come in rich yellow coloration all over the body, fins, and tails.

They also come in different shades of yellow, that is, from bright yellow to more dull and soft coloration. Still, they look attractive and magnificent in each color and shade.

Their yellow variations are very common to their red variations and hence, sometimes they are also called ‘non-red betta’.

White Betta Fish

White betta fish

These Bettas have a plain white coloration that can appear dull to some. But if chosen with the right tail, they will give a more magnificent and royal look compared to any other vibrant colored Betta. This fish is also known as platinum betta.

To get this, choose the long flowing or swooping tail like the Veiltail or Crowntail betta. They will add charm to their beauty.

Green Betta Fish 

Green betta fish
green betta fish

This is another rare breed usually found in turquoise. These colorations are usually hidden under other bright and dark colors that are not visible with the naked eyes. Its iridescent green tone will only be visible when you shine lights over its body.

They also come in bright green and dark green variations. These colors are easily visible in the light and hence considered a very precious and rare breed.

Mustard Gas Betta Fish

Mustard betta fish

These mustard gas bettas or mustard bettas come in bi-colored variations with different colors on the fins and body. This quality gives uniqueness and magnificent look to Mustard Gas Betta.

The body color of Mustard Gas Bettas is usually dark blue or green with variation in their fins with orange or yellow colors.

The other variation of these Bettas is often called Chocolate because of their brown color.

Betta Fish Patterns

Patterns are the last characteristic of the Betta, on which their breeds can be classified. Patterns give a remarkable and unique look to the Bettas and many variations are found and developed over the years.

Butterfly Betta Fish

Mustard halfmoon butterfy betta fish
Mustard halfmoon butterfy betta fish

The butterfly pattern is common among Bettas. Anyone can easily recognize it from its distinct features.

Generally, its body is covered in solid color which changes over time to iridescent and paler color with white fins and tails.

Another variation has one solid color over the body but the color of its tail’s and fin’s edges become transparent or white over time.

Dragon Betta Fish

Dragon scale betta fish

This betta is also known as bumblebee betta or dragonscale betta. This pattern is famous for its bright metallic coloration which is created by experts using selective breeding.

These Bettas have bright full-body coloration and their scales look like that of a dragon and hence the name.

Their body is usually bright red with copper-colored iridescent scales across the main body. It gives them a unique characteristic.

Marble Betta Fish

Marble betta fish
Blue and white betta fish

This is another pattern of Betta that shows variations in colors and features. Marble Betta also develops color over time just like Butterfly one.

Their body is often covered in solid or pale colors with blotchy or irregular patterns in bright red or blue color. The tails and fins usually have marble-like patterns with pale colors.

Marble Betta is also famous for changing colors. Somedays you will find it in one color while other days in a different color. The ability to change color gradually fades as they age.

Koi Betta Fish

Koi halfmoon betta fish
Koi betta fish

Koi Betta fish is another variation of marble Betta that is not commonly found in the wild. They are created through selective breeding to preserve the most amazing characteristics and make it resemble the Koi pond fish.

They aren’t available in different colors but their brightness and richness can vary from breed to breed.

Summary

Bettas are small and hardy fishes and 5-gallon tank capacity is more than enough for them. There are many breeds of Bettas and all of them are famous for their distinct and striking features and coloration.

Their variations and characteristics are carefully studied and selected breeding is done over the years, to get magnificent results. This is the reason there are over a hundred variations in Betta (types of betta fish) available today.

Each of them having uniqueness and attractiveness. However, you will not find this variation and bright coloration of Betta in the wild. Betta fish or Siamese fish are also bred as a fighting fish because of their aggressive nature.

What is the most striking feature of Bettas according to you? And which type and color of Betta, you liked the most? Let us know in the comment section below.