Is this a Dwarf Betta female?

[Asia8]

Hi there!. I might have inadvertently bought one and now I'm wondering if it's a female. She/he does have an egg spot. And is surprisingly territorial. What do I need to do to make sure she lives as long and healthy as possible? TIA.

 

[Fishfur]

I would have to say, based on those fins and their length, that despite the egg spot, this one is male.
The egg spot is either a false one or it might be one of the bettas where the sex appears to be ambiguous. Sometimes they can have reproductive organs that don’t match the apparent external features.
While there are a few very small betta species, in the fish bred for the aquarium trade there is no dwarf type though some may be smaller or larger than average.
To live its best life it needs a clean properly cycled tank that is as large as possible, regular weekly water changes and enough if the best quality food you can provide.
Live foods are ideal as the fish are insectivorous carnivores m. Frozen food comes next and dry fish food last. If it has to be dry make sure it isn’t mostly or all plant based - one high quality brand is Northfin and there are a few others. There are some based on soldier fly larvae instead of fish meal and those should be good too - insect protein is better for them than fish, krill, etc.

 

[Asia8]

I would have to say, based on those fins and their length, that despite the egg spot, this one is male.
The egg spot is either a false one or it might be one of the bettas where the sex appears to be ambiguous. Sometimes they can have reproductive organs that don’t match the apparent external features.
While there are a few very small betta species, in the fish bred for the aquarium trade there is no dwarf type though some may be smaller or larger than average.
To live its best life it needs a clean properly cycled tank that is as large as possible, regular weekly water changes and enough if the best quality food you can provide.
Live foods are ideal as the fish are insectivorous carnivores m. Frozen food comes next and dry fish food last. If it has to be dry make sure it isn’t mostly or all plant based - one high quality brand is Northfin and there are a few others. There are some based on soldier fly larvae instead of fish meal and those should be good too - insect protein is better for them than fish, krill, etc.

Thanks for the reply and the advice on keeping her/him happy. My suspicion about this being a dwarf female is because of another thread on FishLore. Dwarf Bettas | Betta Breeding Forum
In the very last comment, someone suggests that dwarfism is relatively common in bettas, and they are usually female with bodies that are 1.25 inches with long fins. At first, I thought the short body was due to the doubletail variety, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[Fishfur]

Thanks for the reply and the advice on keeping her/him happy. My suspicion about this being a dwarf female is because of another thread on FishLore. Dwarf Bettas | Betta Breeding Forum
In the very last comment, someone suggests that dwarfism is relatively common in bettas, and they are usually female with bodies that are 1.25 inches with long fins. At first, I thought the short body was due to the doubletail variety, but now I'm not so sure.

The thing is that growth in fish can be influenced dramatically by how they are fed and what they are fed and also how much physical space they have to grow in. Making comparisons based only on body size just can’t account for those variables.
Dwarfism is a genetic condition that is usually very recessive which exists in the genome of a lot of species and it is much more common to see it expressed in species where humans have practiced inbreeding.
All those dogs (and Munchkin cats) out there with very short upper limb bones (Dachshunds, Corgi, etc.) have a form of dwarfism.
I suspect that the ‘balloon’ type of fish might be the result of some type of dwarfism - don’t know if anyone has bothered to figure out if it is. But a smaller than average size fish with completely normal body proportions can result from environmental factors that influence its growth and that’s probably a more likely explanation than a purely genetic cause for smallness.
Average size is just that, only an average. There are going to be outliers at both the small and large end of the scale.

 

[Asia8]

The thing is that growth in fish can be influenced dramatically by how they are fed and what they are fed and also how much physical space they have to grow in.
Making comparisons based only on body size just can’t account for those variables.

Thanks for the comprehensive answer!

 

[JustAFishServant]

Hello friend! I noticed you wanted an answer from me so I'm here to give in my 2 cents. I apologize for the late reply

Your betta is a male doubletail with a false egg spot. He's about 7-9 months old.

The doubletail (or twintail) betta breed, like ryukin goldfish and balloon rams, have 2 deformities bred into the breed; Short Body Syndrome, where 1 or more vertebrae are missing which gives it a shortened body appearance, and Scoliosis, where the spine is curved upwards at the start the dorsal fin.

Your betta doesn't have scoliosis. However, he definitely has "short body syndrome." He isn't missing very many vertebrae, probably only 2 at most.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

 

[Fishfur]

Thanks for the comprehensive answer!

That’s extremely interesting - so there is at least one genetic reason though it isn’t a dwarfism syndrome as we usually see them.

 

[Asia8]

Hello friend! I noticed you wanted an answer from me so I'm here to give in my 2 cents. I apologize for the late reply

Your betta is a male doubletail with a false egg spot. He's about 7-9 months old.

The doubletail (or twintail) betta breed, like ryukin goldfish and balloon rams, have 2 deformities bred into the breed; Short Body Syndrome, where 1 or more vertebrae are missing which gives it a shortened body appearance, and Scoliosis, where the spine is curved upwards at the start the dorsal fin.

Your betta doesn't have scoliosis. However, he definitely has "short body syndrome." He isn't missing very many vertebrae, probably only 2 at most.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

Thank you!! It's fascinating to learn about the genetics of these fish. I'm glad to hear he doesn't have scoliosis.