# Spoon head trait, is it only 'skin deep'?



## Patong (Jul 9, 2013)

So I have a confession to make... I really like the look of spoon head bettas, not the most extreme ones but fish like this








I really love the silhouette of! They remind me of arowana and arapaima :-D.

Now I realise that this trait is very undesirable in a breeding fish but my question is does affect anything other than aesthetic? I would love to own a fish like I pictured above as a pet but I would not want to give money for a fish that had any kind of deformity that was a serious detriment to it's good health. Does the spoon head shape get in the way of the fish feeding or anything like that or is it just an ugly trait?


----------



## averyecho (May 2, 2014)

Smaug is spoonheaded and he's never had a single problem as far as feeding goes. It hasn't affected his health either, not any more than having normal heads has affected my other bettas. If you really want a betta like that, I say go for it. I actually think the milder spoonheads are cool looking too.


----------



## Patong (Jul 9, 2013)

Ah, I understand! I was confused because on some Thai forums spoon head is considered just another form of Betta head and some even think it looks very good that way, but on other forums it is called a deformity that should be culled. 

I would like to find a nice red plakat with a spoon head outline and set up a kind of 'mini arowana" tank like this:










I will keep an eye out at my LFS and on aquabid for such a fish!


----------



## averyecho (May 2, 2014)

That's a nice tank! 
I understand why you might be confused about it. Some breeders go a bit overboard with that kind of stuff and think any fish that doesn't meet their standards should be killed. Other people don't really care. Still, like I said, it doesn't really affect anything healthwise so spoonheads are perfectly fine to own.


----------



## Vergil (Nov 10, 2013)

Personally I'm fine with fish with defects/mismarks in show terms for pet homes - they're not much different from dogs who come from excellent breeders but just didn't make the cut for a coveted blue ribbon.

I just dislike the practice of breeding from fish or any animal with mismarks. It doesn't improve the breed and as snobbish/elitist as it sounds, I do want to see our beloved pets being selectively bred to improve.


----------



## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

It doesnt hurt/hinder them, just is ugly in a lot of peoples opinions. Many fighters are bred for spoon heads and are selected for it. Just in the show world they are a fault


----------



## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Spoon heads doesn't effect health in any way. It is a natural wild form.
"Shows" appreciates what is more difficult and ballanced thus is undesired amongst show breeders and many hobbyists.


----------

