Colored Halfmoon Betta Fish

The brilliant coloration and long flowing fins of the male betta make it one of the most well known of aquarium fish. Females are usually not as highly colored and have much shorter fins. In nature, this species is not usually brightly colored.

However, captive breeding programs have resulted in a wide variety of colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, pink, blue, green, turquoise, brown, and black. A myriad of combinations can be seen, from solid colors to those with different fin and body colors, to patterned colors. Fin types have also changed due to selective breeding. Veil tails have been joined by crown tails, deltas, fans, half moons, lyre, and split tails, to name a few.

Both sexes have a torpedo-shaped body and an upturned mouth geared for eating at the surface. Mature adults reach a size of two to three inches, with females being slightly smaller than the males. A unique feature of this species is the presence of a labyrinth organ that allows them to take oxygen from the atmosphere instead of from water, thus allowing them to survive in low-oxygen pools.