Betta Breeds Explained
Spend much time with serious Betta fanciers and you’ll hear terms like “veil tail,” “delta tail,” “crowntail,” and “half moon”… and quickly become confused. So I’m going to give you a pain-free introduction to the various lines of the glorious Betta Splendens. In a nutshell, the only real difference among the types of Bettas has to do with the tail. I explain as follows…
Veil Tail - Over 80% of fish sold by pet stores are VT males. They’re characterized by bottom fin rays being longer than the top rays. (Rays are the “spines” you see in fins.) With fins flared out, VTs look rectangular or diamond-shaped. Most breeders and Betta show enthusiasts look down on the VT as inferior. I think they’re mistaken because I think the VT’s multiple colors and wavy fins are one of the true miracles of nature.
Round Tail - The tail appears round, hence the name. The circular shape comes from the middle ray of the tail being the longest, and then the rays becoming progressively shorter away from the middle.
Delta Tail - The tail has a triangular shape, which comes from the outermost rays on the tail being the same length as the middle. In Betta shows the widest-tailed of the Delta Tails are the most sought after.
Half Moons - A Delta Tail’s tail can become so wide that it forms a half circle (or half moon) shape, at which point it becomes known as the Half Moon Betta. Half Moons are the most popular variety among hardcore Betta fanciers.
Double Tails - These little guys have their tail fork into two halves. DTs are genetic rarities you will never find at a pet store.
Crown Tails - The rays of the tail extend well past the webbing, giving the tail a prickly appearance. The Crowntails is most commonly single rayed. Then breeders bred double rayed Crowntails which had tail rays branching off. Since then breeders have developed “double double ray” and “double double double ray” Crowntails, which are the scarcest and costliest Bettas you can buy.