# Dog is to wolf as betta is to ______



## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

What wild betta did our pets come from? Links to pictures or just pictures would be great . Thanks.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Wild betta splendens. Basically these fish were bred starting in the 1200s for aggression. As with anything, new forms popped up and the fighters were created. Then in the early 1900s the first new colors started popping up and eventually the long fin mutation started. 

I'll post more tomorrow. I'm dying of sleep deprivation over here.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Would it be plakats? Veil tails were a genetic mutation that was used to create deltas etc.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

While I don't have wild splendens (true ones are considered rather rare now as most are hybrids), I do have some other species of wild bettas. 

Essentially once tame, wild-caught bettas have basically the same personality as their domesticated cousin. They just tend to be more easily spooked and more prone to jumping out and making fish crispies of themselves.

Here's a picture of a Betta livida, which belongs to my favourite complex of wild betta species. He is also a camera hog so easier to get a good shot of than some of my others.



















Here's him challenging my tussyae male


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

I searched for wild splendens and this came up: http://www.calypso.org.uk/Photolibr...ecies/images\Wild Betta splendens 990 168.jpg

Is that right? 

So basically the difference is wild betta have short fins?


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## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

finnfinnfriend said:


> I searched for wild splendens and this came up: http://www.calypso.org.uk/Photolibr...ecies/images\Wild Betta splendens 990 168.jpg
> 
> Is that right?
> 
> So basically the difference is wild betta have short fins?


Yes and no. ^_^;

Wild bettas will not have long fins unless a mutation occurs. Veil, Crown, Halfmoon, Double Halfmoon, Delta, Double Delta, and anything I forgot to list are all long tail breeds that were specifically bred for those mutations. Short tails reign supreme in the wild for the sake of survival. However, there are domestic plakats that have the short fins that are beneficial in the wild, but they are bred for unnatural colors just like any other domestic betta. 

So I would assume those bettas are wild because they have short fins *and* are a brownish color that helps them blend in with their enviornment. I pretty sure wild bettas come in more than one color. But I doubt any of them are bright irredescent pink.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Domesticated bettas come from splendens, imbellis, and smaragdina. These are thought to be the same species but there are slight differences. I'm thinking the long fin mutation came from imbellis which has longer fins than the other species in the males. Also things like dragons came from imbellis because of the thicker metallic scales. 

Wild betta splendens/imbellis:


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

MrVampire181 said:


> Domesticated bettas come from splendens, imbellis, and smaragdina. These are thought to be the same species but there are slight differences. I'm thinking the long fin mutation came from imbellis which has longer fins than the other species in the males. Also things like dragons came from imbellis because of the thicker metallic scales.
> 
> Wild betta splendens/imbellis:
> 
> ...


So the first picture is a wild splenden and the bottom picture is a wild imbellis?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Yup.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

if you look at the two beauties Mr. V posted, then look at a plakat like my Lulu:









you can see the similarities. :B Lulu is a wild-color, meaning her colors are similar to those of wild-types.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Wilds generally look 'snakier' and longer through the body than domesticated splendens. 

It's fairly easy to pick the difference between true wild imbellis, splendens and smaragdina and a plakat, but when you add hybrids to the mix, it gets a lot harder to distinguish between what is pure and what isn't.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

Oh my goodness, that imbellis is such a stunner! I'd take him over most domestic splendens any day.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Whats the difference between wild imbellis and a roundtail domestic? They look the same to me....at least in shape...


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Round tail: 









Imbellis:


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

MrVampire181 said:


> Round tail:
> View attachment 51984
> 
> 
> ...


So...The fins are just a little longer on a roundtail?


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

....And THAT imbellis looks like a plakat-spadetail! Ouch my brain.....:-?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Look at the body types and coloring.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

Longer body on the wild?


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Yup. 

Some wild betta videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAe0njj5Al4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAUcaoc66ZQ&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DtZG-VQtCo&feature=relmfu


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

okay lol. Thank you so much! Sorry I am so inquisitive lol


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

I have a book that is 99% wild betta care and spawning info so I know a little bit lol.


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## Sea Dragon (Mar 20, 2012)

Idk about you guys but there's some semblance here ;-)


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

^LOL, very good.


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