so, you want to breed bettas?

BETTA FISH?” Here’s what you need to know before you begin.

Brought to you by: “So, you want to breed

1.) Knowledge & Goals “Do I have the knowledge to breed without guessing, and an understanding of gene>cs and behavior? Do I know what I want out of this spawn? Do I know what I’m going to do with the offspring?”

2.) Finances “Do I have enough money to pay for supplies and food?”

3.) Space “Do I have enough space to breed and house offspring?”

4.) Time “Do I have enough >me to raise and care for the fry?”

5.) Supplies & Equipment “Do I have the right supplies and equipment to breed and raise?”

6.) Breeding Quality Stock “Do I have good quality fish that I know the gene>c history of?”

Important points to ask yourself:

Sec>on 1:

BeUa Basics •Anatomy •Form

•Color / PaUerns •Branching • Behavior

•What Defines Good Form

Be#a Basics As a breeder of beUa fish, you should strive to improve the quality of the species. In order to do this successfully (and with minimal head-‐banging against the wall,) do your research. The following is a list of the most important and basic topics you should be researching, as well as good links to where you can gain the knowledge you need.

“You wouldn’t try to take an important test without studying and expect to pass, right? You shouldn’t try to successfully breed without studying, either.”

• Be#a Anatomy One of the most important things you can learn about beUas is their anatomy. You’ll find when speaking with other enthusiasts, terms will be used that you are probably not used to seeing. Familiarize yourself with beUa anatomy-‐ you’ll be surprised how oaen you will use it.

Be#a Basics As a breeder of beUa fish, you should strive to improve the quality of the species. In order to do this successfully (and to prevent head-‐banging against the wall,) do your research. The following is a list of the most important and basic topics you should be researching, as well as good links to where you can gain the knowledge you need.

“You wouldn’t try to take an important test without studying and expect to pass, right? You shouldn’t try to successfully breed without studying,

either.”

• Be#a Finnage Forms Knowing how to recognize the different types of beUas is cri>cal. You should be able to understand the differences between the forms, and know when it’s a bad idea to cross them, and when it’s necessary to cross them. Star>ng out as a new breeder, you should have a goal in mind of what kind of finnage you’d like to reproduce. Keep in mind the downsides of each form-‐ halfmoons are prone to “tail bi>ng” and gebng worn out easily due to heavy finnage. Crowntails need very soa, clean water to prevent ray bending and curling. Plakats / Halfmoon Plakats tend to be the easiest to start with, as they don’t have the long fins and issues that come with them. List of basic forms of finnage-‐ Veiltail (VT) Delta Tail (DeT) Super Delta Tail (SD) Doubletail (DT) Halfmoon (HM) Crowntail (CT) Roundtail (RdT) Rosetail (RT) Spadetail (ST) Plakat (PK) Halfmoon Plakat (HMPK) Combtail (CbT) Halfsun (HS)

Good Websites for Finnage Info-‐ hUp://www.aqua>ccommunity.com/beUafish/tailfinforms.php

hUp://beUysplendens.com/ar>cles/catview.imp?ca>d=857 hUp://beUatalk.com/beUa_finnage.htm

hUp://beUaterritory.nl/BT-‐AABtailtypegene>cs.htm



• Be#a Colors & Pa#erns Knowing how to recognize the different colors of beUas is cri>cal. Star>ng out as a new breeder, you should have a goal in mind of what kind of color you’d like to reproduce. Keep in mind the difficulty levels for different colors and paUerns, for example, the difficulty of gebng a solid buUerfly paUern within a line, versus s>cking with a solid, dominant color such as blue.

List of basic colors and paUerns-‐ Iridescent (turquoise, steel blue, royal blue, copper) Red Orange Yellow Black White BuUerfly Lace Marble Dragon Cambodian Purple Mustard Chocolate

Good Websites for Color Info-‐ hUp://beUaterritory.nl/BT-‐AABcolorgene>cs.htm

hUp://beUysplendens.com/ar>cles/catview.imp?ca>d=890 hUp://beUatalk.com/beUa_colors.htm



• Understanding “Branching” Interac>ng with other beUa breeders and owners, you will oaen see the term “branching,” “webbing,” “rays,” or “splits.” Learning terms and how to count rays is a cri>cal part of understanding beUa form and how finnage spread works.

Branching is generally counted on the caudal fin of the beUa. The term “split” refers to when the first (called the primary) branch divides into two separate (secondary) branches.

Looking at the image to the lea, you can see that the primary branch extends down from the caudal peduncle (see

anatomy) and divides into a V shape, forming two different branches. These smaller branches are called the secondary rays. You can see again that both of these branches divides again into each a V shape, crea>ng the third or ter?ary

branching. This beUa is considered a 4-‐ray beUa, as you can count 4 different rays at the end of the caudal. The more

branching a beUa has, the wider the spread becomes. Super deltas are nearly halfmoons, but do not contain enough branching to pull the webbing apart into a full 180 degree spread. Rosetail beUas have too much branching to be able

to spread out, so it folds in on itself, giving the “rose” appearance.

Example of a 4-‐ray beUa



• Understanding Be#a Behavior When learning how to breed beUa fish, it is cri>cal to learn the behavior and body language of both males and females in a spawning sebng. You must be able to recognize the difference between “flir>ng” and “threatening.”

Example of Aggression: hUp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeB8ec2lqLw *Please note that I DO NOT support or condone ANYONE who partakes in Be#a figh?ng. Here is an example of how a beUa behaves when showing extreme aggression and threatening disposi>ons. Characteris>cs include intense flaring/ body shaking, open-‐mouth flaring, charging, tail “slapping,” bi>ng without release, and relentless chasing without end.

Example of Flir?ng: hUp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_6sIc-‐Hh8c&feature=related Here is an example of how a beUa behaves when showing flirta>ous or seduc>ve disposi>ons. Characteris>cs include swimming in an “S” paUern, searching for a loca>on to construct a nest, mild to moderate chasing with frequent breaks, and gently nosing into each other’s sides.



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? This is another cri>cal point to learn when preparing to breed beUas. You should learn how to tell the difference between good form and poor form on a beUa. Some people make the argument “Well, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!” Personally, I challenge that. Why is an AKC Purebred Siberian Husky worth so much more than a family’s mixed breed from the pound? They are both dogs, both loving, and both are able to breed. That doesn’t mean the mixed breed dog should be bred, as it would create more mixed breed dogs, which are far more than common. Breeding the mixed breed dog only creates more homeless dogs which no breeder in their right mind would ever buy. There are plenty of mixed breeds sibng in dog pounds everywhere. There is no improvement to the dog species-‐ only another weave in the scrambled web that is the dogs’ gene>cs. The same can be said for breeding be#a fish-‐ “Why is a pure (homozygous) pla>num symmetrical HMPK worth so much more than a family’s redwashed, mixed gene>c veiltail from the pet store? They are both beUas, both have personali>es, and both are able to breed. That doesn’t mean the VT should be bred, as it would create more scrambled gene>c VTs, which are far more than common. Breeding the mixed gene>c VT only creates more homeless beUas that no breeder in their right mind would ever buy. There are plenty of mixed VTs sibng in cups on shelves in pet stores everywhere. There is no improvement to the beUa species-‐ only another weave in the scrambled web that is the fish's’ gene>cs.”

How can you agree with the first statement, and disagree with the second? They’re the same statements-‐ just a different animal.

Which appears to be of breeding quality to YOU?



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? (Con?nued) The following is a list of arguments and excuses people make in order to jus>fy pet store breeding-‐ “I need to pracFce on pet store fish before I risk expensive fish.” As quoted by my fellow BSOC founder, Dom, “It takes just as much >me, money and effort to breed poor quality fish as it does high quality fish.” At the end of one, you have hundreds of high quality, solid gene>c offspring that will resell much more easily-‐ in the end of the other, you have tanks full of poor formed, mystery gene>c (basically pet store) fish. Look at it this way-‐ if pet stores get hundreds of customers on a daily basis, and typically only sell a few beUas a day, how long do you think it will take YOU to be rid of hundreds of them? There is no “prac>cing” when it comes to breeding-‐ it isn’t a game; either you do it, or you don’t. It just doesn’t make sense not to start with quality stock. “I can’t afford fancy, expensive show fish.” If you can’t afford the cost of the parents to your spawn, there’s no way in hell you can afford the rest of the hobby. Breeding beUas will put you in debt right off the bat-‐ between the tanks, heaters, filters, food, medica>on, jars, plants, cultures, chemicals, water/electricity bill spikes-‐ the cost of the parents is absolutely miniscule in comparison. If you get to know the right breeders, you can easily obtain a great pair for $40, commonly even less. “I can just give the offspring away to my local pet store.” When it comes to dona>ng fish, nine >mes out of ten you will get turned down. How do you think pet shops get their fish? By strict contracts with large-‐scale breeding facili>es. Purchasing or obtaining someone else’s stock not only breaches this contract, but puts more beUas on the shelves than they already need (or want.) Shops order in fish at a balanced rate at which they sell them-‐ accep>ng your fish throws off that balance, so majority of the >me it won’t happen. It’s simple logis>cs of supply and demand-‐ honestly, pet store beUas aren’t in demand. That’s why they’re only a dollar or two in most stores. “Wasn’t it mixing up geneFcs that created the different forms we have to begin with?” Well, yes and no. The breeders who formed the different types of beUas we have today were highly knowledgeable, experienced breeders and gene>cists who crossed with very specific goals in mind. Excessive culling, inbreeding and outcrossing were required-‐ something a novice breeder has no first clue about.



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? (Con?nued) Pictured are the 3D renderings of BeMas4All standard, which meets closely to the IBC standards. All credits to Joep van Esch.

Halfmoon Ideally the caudal fin of a halfmoon, both short-‐ and longfinned, should have a 180 degree spread with the length of the rays being equal throughout the whole caudal. This characteris>c is only found in a limited number of fish and most of the >mes the outer rays are shorter in length than the rays found in the midsec>on of the caudal fin. When judging longfinned halfmoons it is oaen said that the fish has an unbalanced appearance because the anal fin is too long in the back. Interes>ngly, in most cases it are not the rays in the anal fin which are too long but it actually are the outer rays of the caudal fin which are too short. This observa>on requires both breeders and judges to look with a different eye at halfmoons (see Figure 1A). Figure 1



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? (Con?nued) Pictured are the 3D renderings of BeMas4All standard, which meets closely to the IBC standards. All credits to Joep van Esch. Plakat For many years the tradi>onal plakat was the only shorwinned type seen at beUa shows but the development of the halfmoon fever also led to the evolu>on of the shorwinned tailtype. Outcrossing the tradi>onal plakat type to longfinned halfmoons led to the development of the

halfmoon plakat. The overall appearance of these fish is asymmetrical and combines traits of both tradi>onal plakats and halfmoons. Besides more raysplibng in the caudal fin, the outcrossing to longfinned halfmoons also introduced more raysplibng in the anal and dorsal fins which also influenced their shape and volume. Both types have a clear asymmetrical appearance which is mainly caused by the extended rays in the rear (posterior) part of the anal fin but also by the length and shape of the ventrals and the dorsal. When breeding longfinned halfmoons the ul>mate goal is a fish with a balanced appearance. The increasing interest in asymmetrical show plakats lead to the development of another plakat type, the symmetrical halfmoon plakat. This type is the shorwinned equivalent of the longfinned halfmoon and is oaen referred to as “shortmoon”. Because we are now dealing with three different shorwinned show varie>es which have been evolved from each other by years of selec>ve breeding, this also resulted in intermediate types which are some>mes difficult to place in a certain show class. In this standard we have tried to create a clearer dis>nc>on between the tradi>onal plakat (see Figure 2A), the asymmetrical halfmoon plakat (see Figure 2B)

and the symmetrical halfmoon plakat (see Figure 2C).

Figure 2



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? (Con?nued) Pictured are the 3D renderings of BeMas4All standard, which meets closely to the IBC standards. All credits to Joep van Esch. Veiltail

The veiltail is a form which gradually has disappeared from the class list of many interna>onal BeUa shows. We personally think this is a nega>ve development, because we should not forget that it was this variety which was the base of the development of the modern

longfinned show BeUa. Addi>onally the veiltail, without any doubt, is the most known variety of Be.a splendens among the public. It oaen is this variety which is responsible for people gebng “infected” with the “beUa-‐virus”. Because the veiltail is s>ll greatly appreciated among aquarium hobbyists and is clearly dis>nct from the other longfinned show BeUas we think there s>ll should be room for this variety within the show circuit. We therefore developed a show standard for veiltails and hope that this standard will s>mulate and challenge breeders to

bring the current quality of the veiltail to a higher level by well-‐thought and dedicated breeding programs (see Figure 3A).

Figure 3



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? (Con?nued) Pictured are the 3D renderings of BeMas4All standard, which meets closely to the IBC standards. All credits to Joep van Esch. Doubletail The ideal doubletail can be considered as the ul>mate example of symmetry of all show BeUas. Because of the broad dorsal fin which almost

resembles the anal fin in both width and shape the upper part and lower part of the fish nearly are a mirror-‐image. In many standards doubletails are allowed to have a shorter body. We personally feel that ideally the perfect doubletail should have a good propor>oned body

which is comparable to that of any singletail variant (see Figure 4B).

Figure 4



• What Makes a “Good Quality” Be#a? (Con?nued) Pictured are the 3D renderings of BeMas4All standard, which meets closely to the IBC standards. All credits to Joep van Esch. Doubletail

According to the BeUas4all Standard, the ideal crowntail caudal is “double-‐ray (DR)” and shows a primary branching (2-‐ray) with a 50% reduc>on in webbing between the primary rays and a 25% reduc>on between the secondary rays thereby crea>ng a crown-‐like appearance

(see Figure 4C). The dorsal and anal fin of the crowntail show a 50% reduc>on in webbing. We decided to choose this type because it represents a good balance between the empty spaces and remaining webbing between the rays of the fins. Two variants of this type are

recognized, the normal crossray and reverse crossray.

Figure 4

Sec>on 2:

Spawning Basics •Fry

•Planning for the Adults •Methods

•Spawning Steps

Spawning Basics As a breeder of beUa fish, you should strive to improve the quality of the species. In order to do this successfully (and with minimal head-‐banging against the wall,) do your research. The following is a list of the most important and basic topics you should be researching, as well as good links to where you can gain the knowledge you need.


• Preparing for the Fry The most difficult part of the en>re breeding process is dealing with the fry. They are fragile, they are hungry, and they excrete a stun>ng hormone into the water that will keep your fish from growing unless daily water changes are made. Be sure you are fully prepared to spend the >me that is necessary to raise the fry to adulthood.

Fry Growth-‐ Here is a great link to a be#a fry growth chart. Note how ?ny be#a fry actually are-‐ this is why using dividers to separate fry will not work. h#p://be#atalk.com/fry_growth.htm

Fry Feeding-‐ Here are some great links to be#a fry feeding informa?on. Note how ?ny be#a fry actually are-‐ this is why feeding flakes and pellets will not work. h#p://be#atalk.com/what_fry_eat.htm h#p://be#ysplendens.com/ar?cles/page.imp?ar?cleid=750

Clean Water-‐ The best way to grow your fry quickly into healthy adults? Clean water. h#p://be#ysplendens.com/ar?cles/page.imp?ar?cleid=751

Fry Sickness-‐ Here is a great link to what to do if there is a disease outbreak in your spawning tank. h#p://be#ysplendens.com/ar?cles/page.imp?ar?cleid=749

Fry Culling-‐ As a breeder, it is up to you when to cull or not to cull a fry. This ar?cle will help you decide. h#p://be#ysplendens.com/ar?cles/page.imp?ar?cleid=1047

How to tell the Gender of a Juvenile Be#a-‐ As they grow older, you may no?ce figh?ng and torn fins within the tank. This link will help you to be able to recognize the different genders of the youngsters. h#p://be#atalk.com/how_to_sex_be#as.htm

Jarring Young Be#as-‐ The last step before they reach adulthood, jarring can be difficult. This ar?cle has good informa?on on what to do, and what not to do. h#p://be#atalk.com/jarring_young_be#as.htm



• Plans for the Adult Offspring This is one of the biggest factors in deciding whether or not to spawn your beUas. Keep an open mind on the informa>on below, and ask yourself honestly-‐ should I be breeding these fish?

Currently within the U.S., there is a moderately high demand for good quality beUa fish. People are gebng >red of having to pay expensive importa>on costs, at such a high risk of displacement or death of their purchases. That being said, the #1 way for a breeder to be rid of the offspring they raise is by offering their stock for sale, and shipping cross-‐country to hundreds of buyers. Many novice breeders say “Well, I can just give them away to people.” Be realis>c about this-‐ pet store beUa fish are only a few dollars. If people genuinely wanted a beUa fish, and were willing to purchase the proper equipment to give it the life it deserves, wouldn’t they have already gone and purchased one? Nine >mes out of ten, offering a free beUa fish to someone will result in “No thanks, I don’t have the >me or money to take care of it.” Fish require food, aquariums, filtra>on, hea>ng and maintenance. This seems to be too much of a hassle for most people, so they either turn you down, or take the fish and end up trea>ng it inhumanely, subjec>ng it to a life in a bowl of cold, dirty water un>l it dies of lethargy and disease. Selling the fish to someone who is willing to pay a higher price for it nearly guarantees a beUer life for the beUa. Since you are the one who brought the beUa into the world, you should do everything you can to ensure it goes to a suitable and caring home.

As a result of this, logically you will have more na>onal buyers if the offspring are of good quality. Expec>ng to breed pet store fish and selling the offspring for much higher than any other pet store fish will simply not happen. Why would buyers purchase a fish from you that is gene>cally and physically exactly the same as the fish sibng in cups at Petco? People like to feel that they are gebng good quality for their money-‐ so, to supply good quality, you must first start with good quality. Higher quality fish may cost you more in the beginning, but the difference to focus on is the ability to resell the offspring, which is not the case when breeding pet store fish.



• Different Methods At this point, you should familiarize yourself with the actual process of spawning. You should be able to recall what steps to take off the top of your head, instead of asking as you go along.

The Hobbyist Method: This is by far the most common of all methods here in the U.S., and generally consists of a ten gallon tank and a chimney glass to separate the female. hUp://beUysplendens.com/ar>cles/page.imp?ar>cleid=722

The Plas>c Tub Method: This is becoming more and more popular among U.S. breeders, as tubs from walmart are MUCH cheaper than large tanks at pet stores, and they basically serve the same purpose. This method is good for intermediate breeders who have a good grasp of beUa behavior. hUp://beUysplendens.com/ar>cles/page.imp?ar>cleid=723 The Thai Method:

Not nearly as common as Hobbyist or Tub methods, the Thai method is a very close-‐quarter, fairly risky method that majority of Thailand breeders use. The spawning begins in a small bowl, and the fry are transferred into larger round tubs outdoors to grow out. hUp://beUysplendens.com/ar>cles/page.imp?ar>cleid=724



• Understanding the Spawning Process-‐ Step by Step At this point, you should familiarize yourself with the actual process of spawning. You should be able to recall what steps to take off the top of your head, instead of asking as you go along.

Step 1-‐ Selec?ng the Pair As a breeder, it should be your goal to improve your line with every spawn. This means selec>ng a pair that compliment each others flaws. For example, if you plan to breed a male with a dip in his head (known as spoonhead,) you should choose to breed him to a female with a smooth mouth-‐to-‐dorsal topline. If you have a halfmoon male that should have a wider spread, you should pair him to a female with more branching than him. Breeding fish that have the same nega>ve characteris>cs will result in fry with even worse characteris>cs.

X =

Example of a complimentary pair-‐ a male with a spoonhead crossed with a female with a smooth topline results in outstanding, show-‐winning offspring. (Fish owned and bred by Joep)




Step 2-‐ Condi?oning the Pair For these fish, the breeding process is a very precarious and physically demanding ordeal. Males should be condi>oned in order to be able to successfully impress the female, construct a bubblenest, and tend to the eggs / fry for several days following without feeding. Females should be condi>oned to boost egg produc>on, and to be able to handle and recover from the bea>ng and chasing of the male. In the wild, spawning takes place more frequently when there is an abundance of food. The most successful condi>oning process is completely isola>ng the pair you wish to spawn from seeing any other fish for a few weeks. You can either put paper in between their tanks, or move the fish completely from the environment. Isola>on has been proven to help boost interest in pairs. While you have them in isola>on, feed them mul>ple >mes daily with highly nutri>ous foods, such as frozen bloodworms, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, blackworms and grindal worms. Keep their water clean, and if you prefer, allow the pair to see one another for 10 minutes a day, once a day. Keep them in this state for 2 weeks, and you will see their colors become more vibrant, the female will swell with eggs, and the male may or may not construct a bubblenest in his own container.

1.) Knowledge and Goals As a breeder of beUa fish, you should strive to improve the quality of the species. In order to do this successfully (and with minimal head-‐banging against the wall,) do your research. The following is a list of the most important and basic topics you should be researching, as well as good links to where you can gain the knowledge you need.



Step 3-‐ Introducing the Pair Depending on which method you choose, majority of the >me breeders will release the male into the spawning tank first, then place the female within a jar or glass chimney in the spawning tank to allow the male to see her, yet not touch her. This encourages flaring and flir>ng between the two, as well as the construc>on of the bubblenest by the male. Aaer 12-‐48 hours, the female is released into the tank just before lights out in the fish room. It is crucial to keep an eye on the pair in how they react to one another; this is where your knowledge of be#a behavior comes in. If they flirt and he chases her here and there, things should be on the right track. If she shows horizontal stripes and seems disinterested or terrified, separate the two and go back to step one. Keep the spawning tank away from a high-‐traffic area, or drape a towel over the tank.

It is important to let the pair have their privacy-‐ aoer all, would YOU want an audience pushing their face up against the glass?

The spawning process can begin anywhere from 1-‐48 hours of releasing her into the tank. Typically, the male will chase the female un>l she flees into hiding, and he will con>nue construc>on of the nest. Once he feels the nest is adequate, he will “dance” in an S fashion under the nest, and approach the female in a more seduc>ve manner. Once she feels comfortable enough, she will approach the nest and inspect it. She may or may not rip it apart, as her way of saying “not good enough for me yet.” If she approves, the male will approach her, and usually the pair will begin nosing into each others sides, trying to figure out the right posi>on to embrace.

1.) Knowledge and Goals As a breeder of beUa fish, you should strive to improve the quality of the species. In order to do this successfully (and with minimal head-‐banging against the wall,) do your research. The following is a list of the most important and basic topics you should be researching, as well as good links to where you can gain the knowledge you need.



Step 4-‐ The Act of Spawning Contrary to popular belief, the male does not “squeeze” the eggs out of the female. Instead, when the pair wrap correctly and “click,” the female willingly releases and expels her eggs into the water at the same >me the male releases his semen. The eggs become fer>lized mid-‐sinking, and are then scooped up by the male and blown into the bubblenest as the female remains unconscious-‐looking at the surface of the water. (Note-‐ she’s not dead! Just a li#le stunned.) Researchers suggest that fer>liza>on may con>nue with the eggs in the bubblenest, however this is only a theory.




Step 5-‐ Post-‐Spawning Embracing can last anywhere from 1 hour to 7+ hours. They will wrap con>nuously un>l either one or both of them decides they are finished. Once this happens, the male instantly becomes very protec?ve over the nest, and sees the female as a threat. Remove her from the spawning tank at this >me, or he will try to kill her. When removing her, be careful not to bump into the nest as this could cause all of the eggs to spill out onto the floor. Place the female into a warm, quiet, medicated tank to help her recover from her wounds. A good meal is also a great idea. The male will then be very aUen>ve to the nest, scooping up and replacing any fallen eggs back into the nest. There are >mes when the male decides to eat the eggs-‐ this is fairly common with males new to breeding, so if this happens to you, start at step 1 and try again. If aaer a few aUempts he s>ll eats the eggs, you may consider re>ring him as a breeder and finding a different male to use. Aaer 24-‐48 hours, the fry will begin hatching, and will appear as >ny hair-‐like strands hanging from the nest. Aaer 3 days or so, the fry will become freeswimming like normal fish. (I do not recommend feeding the male at any point during this period, as you risk spiking his appe>te and contamina>ng the water with robng uneaten food.) Aaer these three days, you can remove the male, as he will probably be dar>ng around in vain trying to keep all of his fry in the nest.

Sec>on 3:

BeUa Gene>cs •Terminology

•What is the PunneU Square? •Finnage Gene>cs •Color Gene>cs

Be#a Gene?cs As a breeder of beUa fish, you should strive to improve the quality of the species. In order to do this successfully (and with minimal head-‐banging against the wall,) do your research. The following is a list of the most important and basic topics you should be researching, as well as good links to where you can gain the knowledge you need.


• Terminology In order to understand what you’re reading and discussing with others, you must learn the terminology of beUa gene>cs. If you’ve taken a biology / gene>cs class in the past, you should catch on quickly. If not, however, I’m going to break it down for

you. (Special thanks to Joep for the easy-‐to-‐understand defini>ons.) DNA: A nucleic acid that carries the gene>c informa>on in the cell. DNA is capable of self-‐replica>on. DNA is synthesis of RNA. DNA consists of two long chains of nucleo>des twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine. The sequence of nucleo>des determines individual hereditary characteris>cs. Gene: The units of inheritance that transmit informa>on from parents to offspring. Chromosome: A long threadlike associa>on of genes in the nucleus of all eukaryo>c cells which are visible during meiosis and mitosis. A chromosome consists out of DNA and proteins. An organism always has 2n chromosomes, which means that all chromosomes are paired. Genotype: This is the gene>c makeup of an organism: the genes. Phenotype: The physical and physiological traits of an organism. These are influenced by gene>c makeup (genes) and surrounding. Allele: Another word for gene. Each chromosome has a copy of this allel, thus a gene-‐pair. Homozygous: This term indicates that an organism has two iden>cal alleles at a single place on a chromosome. This results in an organism that breeds true for only one trait. Heterozygous: This term indicates that an organism has two different copies of a gene on each chromosome. Dominant gene: In a heterozygote, this allele (gene) is fully expressed in the phenotype. In gene>c schemes, these genes are always depicted with a capital leUer. Recessive gene: In a heterozygote, this allele (gene) is completely masked in the phenotype. In gene>c schemes, these genes are always depicted with a lower case leUer. Intermediair gene: This is when in a heterozygote, an allele (gene) is not fully masked in the phenotype. You can already see some of the characteris>cs of the gene. Good examples of this are the genes for crown-‐ and doubletail. -‐ Fish with only one copy of the crowntail (ct) gene (will most of the >me) already show some ray extensions. -‐ Fish with only one copy of the doubletail (dt) gene (will most of the >me) already show a broader dorsal fin and fuller finnage.



• Terminology / What is the Punne# Square? In order to understand what you’re reading and discussing with others, you must learn the terminology of beUa gene>cs. If you’ve taken a biology / gene>cs class in the past, you should catch on quickly. If not, however, I’m going to break it down for

you. (Special thanks to Joep for the easy-‐to-‐understand defini>ons.) How to indicate the different generaFons? When two unrelated parents (P) are crossed their hybrid offspring is called the F1 genera?on (for the first filial genera>on). When the F1 genera>on is interbred their offspring is called the F2 genera?on (for the second filial genera>on). When the F2 genera>on is interbred their offspring is called the F3 genera?on (for the third filial genera>on). And so on........ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now try to visualize this using for example the allele for hair color in humans: Brown hair is a dominant trait. How is it possible that two parents with brown hair get a blond daughter of son? The allele for “brown hair” is dominant and depicted with “B”. The allele for “blond hair” is recessive and depicted with “b”. The answer lies here: Remember that all alleles come in pairs and that the parents have to be heterozygous for the allel for haircolor. This means that both parents have to posses the recessive trait for blond hair (“b”) besides the dominant trait for brown hair (“B”), thus “Bb”. The best thing to visualize this is by the use of a PunneU-‐square:

Summary: The offspring of two parents carrying the heterozygous “Bb” genotype can result in the following offspring: 25% homozygous for brown hair (“BB”), 50% heterozygous for brown hair (“Bb”) and 25% homozygous for blond hair (“bb”).



• Finnage Gene?cs You’ve probably asked yourself something along the lines of “I wonder what I’ll get if I cross a HM to a CT?” Well, in order to figure out the answer to this, you need to understand the gene>cs behind each different form. You will also need to learn the

basic terminology used for each different form. This is cri>cal informa>on for new breeders.

Things to keep in mind: Long fins are dominant. Short fins are recessive. CT & DT are intermediair.

Veiltail: *Dominant VT x VT = VT VT x CT = VT with reduced webbing VT x HM = VT / SD VT x PK = VT VT x DT = VT with broad fins



• Finnage Gene?cs You’ve probably asked yourself “I wonder what I’ll get if I cross a HM to a CT?” Well, in order to figure out the answer to this, you need to understand the gene>cs behind each different form. You will also need to learn the basic terminology used for

each different form. This is cri>cal informa>on for new breeders.


Doubletail: *Recessive & Intermediair DT x DT = DT with heavy deformi?es DT x VT = VT with broad fins DT x CT = CT with broad fins DT x HM = HM with broad fins DT (longfinned) x PK = SD with broad fins DT (shorsinned) x PK = PK with broad fins






Halfmoon: *Recessive AND Dominant (In order to achieve a complete HM, three things must be met-‐ straight caudal rays, adequate branching, and adequate webbing between branches to spread the full 180*. Some?mes HM x HM will only result in a small amount of HM.)

HM x DT = HM with broad fins HM x VT = DeT / SD with broad fins HM x CT = SD with web reduc?on (Combtails) HM x HM = HM & SD HM (longfinned) x PK = SD HM (shorsinned) x PK = PK






Crowntail: *Intermediair CT x DT = CT with less web reduc?on & broad fins CT x VT = DeT / SD with web reduc?on (combtails) CT x CT = CT CT x HM = DeT/SD with web reduc?on (combtails) CT x PK = DeT/DS with web reduc?on (combtails)





Addi>onal links to good sources of finnage gene>c informa>on: hUp://beUaterritory.nl/BT-‐AABtailtypegene>cs.htm

hUp://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/breeding-‐beUa-‐fish/form-‐breeding-‐99625/



• Color Gene?cs You’ve probably asked yourself something along the lines of “I wonder what I’ll get if I cross a red to a blue?” Well, in order to figure out the answer to this, you need to understand the gene>cs behind each different color. You will also need to learn the

basic terminology used for each different color. This is cri>cal informa>on for new breeders.

Irid Colors (dominant) Turquoise, Steel Blue and Royal Blue Keep in mind-‐

SI = Spread iridescence, which spreads the iridescence across the body & fins. NI = Normal iridescence, commonly seen on wild type beUas.

Turquoise x Turquoise = Turquoise Turquoise x Steel = Royal Turquoise x Royal = Turquoise & Royal Steel x Steel = Steel Steel x Turquoise = Royal Steel x Royal = Steel & Royal Royal x Royal = Royal, Turquoise & Steel Royal x Turquoise = Royal & Turquoise Royal x Steel = Royal & Steel





Black (recessive) Superblack, Melano, Lace, Orchid Keep in mind-‐

Melano x Melano females are oaen infer>le. If there is iridescence on the parent(s), the female offspring will be fer>le. The black gene is typically recessive.

Black x Blue = 100% Blue (black genotype) Black x Blue (black genotype) = 50% Black, 50% Blue (black genotype) Black x Black = Black (Melano x Melano females are infer>le)

Superblack Melano Black Lace Orchid





Cambodian (recessive) Keep in mind-‐

Breeders oaen use Cambodian to get a “clean” body in their lines, free of dark-‐scales.

Cambodian x Red = 100% Red (Cambodian genotype) Cambodian x Red (Cambodian genotype) = 50% Cambodian, 50% Red (Cambodian genotype) Cambodian x Cambodian = Cambodian





Red (Dominant)

Red x Red = 100% Red Red x Black = 100% Red (black genotype) Red x Blue (a co-‐dominant cross) = 100% Blue with red wash, or vice versa

Extended Red (Er)

Extended red is the spread of the deep red pigment across all fins and the body, similar to how spread-‐iridescence works. Extended red is dominant over a normal-‐red beUa. Extended Red x Normal Red = 100% Extended Red





Yellow/Orange

Yellow is a variant of the red pigment, which is manipulated by the Non-‐Red gene. Depending on how much the NR reduces the density of red on the body and fins, the resul>ng colors may range from red, to yellow, to orange. The results are sporadic similar to how a buUerfly paUern varies from fish to fish. Yellow x Yellow = Red, Orange, Yellow Yellow x Red = Red Yellow x Orange = Red, Orange





Opaque/Pastel/Cellophane There are three types of opaque be#as-‐ steel blue, green, and royal blue.

The gene?c make up of an opaque white is represented by: C bl Si Nr Op [1]. C -‐ The cambodian gene for lack of dark body pigment which causes the light body. bl -‐ Steel blue pigment which appears silvery-‐white when on a light background. Si -‐ The spread of the iridocyte pigment, in this case steel blue over the fish. Nr -‐ Non-‐red, causes the inability to produce red pigment. Op -‐ Opaque, the special gene that cause the powdery appearence of the fish. The gene?c make up of a pastel is C Bl Si Nr. C -‐ The cambodian gene for lack of dark body pigment which causes the light body. bl -‐ Steel blue pigment which appears silvery-‐white when on a light background. Si -‐ The spread of the iridocyte pigment, in this case steel blue over the fish. Nr -‐ Non-‐red, causes the inability to produce red pigment. (Op – Opaque, op?onal but necessary to a degree. If too li#ely opaque factor, the fish appear translucent, and if too much, they may be classified as Opaques). Note: To be en?rely correct opaques are actually also pastels with the only difference that opaques carry much more opaque factor than pastels. Cellophane beMas have fleshy bodies and translucent fins-‐ containing zero iridescence or opaque “powder.” They are recessive, a great way to improve form in a line without

damaging the color.





Mustard Gas As quoted from Victoria Parnell,

“The Mustard gas was created by Jude Als (Unkle Junkin). The original Mustard gas beUas had a solid blue/greenish body and yellow fins. Because this line bred true Jude Als thought of this strain name, but actually they are not more then blue/yellow bicolor fishes.

As you can see on the pictures above, nowadays, the term mustard gas is a very plasEc term. The pa.ern of the colors of the different MGs differs from fish to fish. Some fishes also have blue/green/black edges around their fins while others lack these features. Most of the "modern" Mustard don't even come close to the original of Jude Als. Because of these controversy, on shows mustard gas be.as are classified into the bicolored class.”





Copper

Copper beUas derived from cross-‐breeding a wild type beUa imbellis to an iridescent beUa splenden. Through difficult line breeding and culling, the most iridescent beUas were selected and eventually formed today’s copper beUas. The “mask” feature was also developed through this breeding-‐ the spread of iridescence across the head and mouth of the fish. Copper x Copper = Copper Copper x Non-‐Metallic = Metallic





BuUerfly (Dominant, but unpredictable)

Breeding buUerfly beUas is similar to breeding pinto horses-‐ the paUern will not be the same, and will vary in size from fish to fish. BuUerfly x Regular = BuUerfly, paUerns varying BuUerfly x BuUerfly = BuUerfly, paUerns varying





Marble (Dominant, but unpredictable)

Breeding marble beUas is similar to breeding pinto horses-‐ the paUern will not be the same, and will vary from fish to fish. Marble x Regular = Marble, paUerns varying Marble x Marble = Marble, paUerns varying





Dragon

Dragon beUas have extremely iridescent scales-‐ giving the “armored” appearance. While irid colors develop in young beUas early on, it takes much longer for the dragon scaling to become fully mature. Original dragons were bred from wild type beUas. Dragon x Dragon = Dragon Dragon x Non-‐Dragon = Metallic Offspring





Addi>onal links to good sources of color gene>c informa>on: hUp://beUysplendens.com/ar>cles/page.imp?ar>cleid=859

hUp://beUaterritory.nl/BT-‐AABcolorgene>cs.htm hUp://www.beUas-‐jimsonnier.com/gene>cs.htm

“Though he is small, he is but mighty.”

so, you want to breed bettas?

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