# Hybridization Question



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

This question popped into my head after I read that today's Copper, Platinum, and Gold metallics came into the _Betta splendens_ gene pool by cross-breeding them with _Betta imbellis_. This raised the question in my mind; What other species of the _Betta_ genus can be hybridized with _Betta splendens_ and produce fertile offspring capable of reproduction?

If anyone would care to shed some light on the subject, I would be most appreciative, as would others on this forum as well. Thank you.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I don't know about other species of bettas, although now I'm going to spend some time looking, because I'm curious...

Hybridization in general is quite an interesting subject. Typically, a hybrid animal will be sterile - such as the combination of a horse and a donkey, which produces either a mule or a hinny, depending on which parent was male, and which was female.

Here's the interesting part: The offspring are not _always _sterile, and which offspring are fertile might be random...or it might be something else, such as sex linked. Let's look at Bengal cats. They are created through hybridizing domestic cats with Asian Leopard Cats. In the first generations, the male kittens are sterile, but the females are usually fertile.

One of the big road blocks to hybridizing (aside from any ethical standpoint), is that the two species must be compatible enough in behavior to recognize each other's signals and get busy. In the wild, hybrids are uncommon but not all that rare in areas where two species overlap with "close enough" characteristics. It is one of the ways that new species come about.

As for bettas...

Fish hybrids seem to be quite common. According to animal-world.com:

"Within the Betta genus, hybrids have been formed from cross-breeding the Siamese Fighting Fish _B. splendens_ with the Crescent Betta _B. imbellis_, the Blue Betta _Betta smaragdina_, and the undescribed Betta _sp. Mahachaia._ Hybrids have also been reported between _B. splendens_ and its close relative, the Paradise Fish _Macropodus opercularis_"

That's quite a variety!

Here's some interesting information on cross-breeding betta species. It focuses on dragons, of course, but there's about as much in-depth information on this page as I can find anywhere:
http://www.bettaterritory.nl/BT-AABDragons.htm


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

I saw some of those supposed Paradise Fish and Betta hybrids. While similar in appearance to both, I remain skeptical.

It is very interesting to see how much work has been put into the hobby, and also how much work there is still to be done.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I think a betta splendens hybrid has been produced with imbellis, mahachaiensis, and smaragdina; and I'm confident that they could also breed with siamorientalis and stiktos (as it would follow the pattern of hybridization within the splendens complex being possible). 

In theory hybridization would be possible with every betta species, though this would likely have to be performed artificially as splendens have very different methods of courtship, mating, and rearing. 

Keep in mind that if you do decide to hybridize fish (ever, no matter the species) they MUST be sold as what they are, and not just called "betta splendens" if they're a splendens/imbellis cross or "guppy" if they were a guppy/endler cross. Not selling hybrids as hybrids is totally unethical and could potentially destroy gene pools (especially with rarer species, like some wild bettas) if people don't know what they're doing.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

That's a good point, Matts. I personally would never lie about the pedigree of any spawn I produced from a hybrid cross. Not that it's an issue at the moment, seeing as I don't even have a single Betta at this point in time. But the information is useful for future prospects. Thank you.


----------



## BlackDevil (Oct 1, 2014)

Nimble said:


> I saw some of those supposed Paradise Fish and Betta hybrids. While similar in appearance to both, I remain skeptical.
> 
> It is very interesting to see how much work has been put into the hobby, and also how much work there is still to be done.


Paradise Fish x Betta would be, if it's real, a mule = infertile and/or extremely low fertility because it's not even of the same subspecies. That's if it even lives past X days in real life. Extreme hybrids - as in from utterly different species - don't necessarily last long. 

There's an old auction on aquabid now for splendens x mahachaiensis so they do hybridize.
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/closed.cgi?view_archive_item&fwbettas1358162254


----------

