# Betta Temperament vs Tail Type



## Tauriel (Feb 10, 2014)

Hi! So I know that every betta is an individual, but I was wondering if there is any correlation between betta aggression and their tail types?
Like, I seem to remember reading somewhere that plakats are considered more aggressive because they're more closely related to wild types bred to fight, but my current plakat boy is the least likely to flare at anything out of any of the bettas I've owned or interacted with.

Could it also be a trained thing? Like, bettas with longer fins might be encouraged to flare more to show off their fins?

I don't know a lot about betta breeding, but this is just a question I've been thinking about lately, and I wonder if anyone has any insight. 

I've also recently learned that some wild betta species can be kept in pairs or groups, which I find very interesting. So could domestic bettas that are more closely related to their wild cousins be less aggressive?

Actually, this is getting a bit side-tracked now, but do people breeding betta splendens ever take bettas from the wild anymore, or do all current domestic bettas have a small group of common ancestors from a certain point in time?


----------



## Hyunjicho (Nov 8, 2016)

There's a thread like this somewhere (I was wondering a while back as well lol). There seems to be no correlation with fin type or color, but usually if the parents are aggressive, then the spawn is aggressive as well.


----------



## fernielou (May 19, 2015)

I have read all types of things saying plakat, veils, crown tails, and even red betta are more aggressive. I don't know that I have observed anything like that. I've never had a crown tail, but I have a red koi plakat that is the sweetest friendliest betta I've ever had. The most aggressive for me was a rose petal. I've had less than 10 so it's not a good sample size. Maybe a breeder who has had hundreds could say, but I just don't think there's a strong correlation.


----------



## Hyunjicho (Nov 8, 2016)

http://www.bettafish.com/129-betta-chat/67535-personality-tail-type-color.html
Found it!


----------



## Tauriel (Feb 10, 2014)

Ah, great, thanks for the link! 

I guess it makes sense for there not to be a consistent link, especially when people aren't breeding for things other than temperament.


----------



## Tourmaline (Nov 23, 2015)

I have noticed females and PKs are generally more _active_, but I've had HMs and Deltas be just as aggressive and crazy. The most docile Betta I've ever owned was a HMPK named Mizu. The craziest fish I own currently is a giant HMPK named Alydar with some serious food problems, and the craziest fish I've ever owned out of all of them was a HM named Azure.


----------



## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

Before I start, I want to point out that I have never compared notes with other breeders. So my views could be totally off. Nevertheless this is what I observed through the years of keeping bettas.

I differentiate aggressive, vicious, and mentality. One individual could show all three characters. 
Aggressive is when an individual immediately flares when ever it sees another betta (or object). It usually shows activeness, showing off its fins. This could be trained.

Vicious : is not necessarily aggressive, but will readily kill other bettas (or tank mates). If bred, the female will often end up beaten half dead.

Mentality is related to health and training. It will fight to the bitter end or flare for days. Isolated since young often helps build higher mentallity, if health is maintained. Needs shorter time to flare again after being Stressed due to fighting or illness.

The first two characters are not related to color or fin type. If at all, they are more related to age. But mentality seems to be higher in irid or dark colored bettas (except royal blue). Most Lighter colors seem to have lower mentalities and often becomes intimidated in sororities. . . . You won't find a light colored "fighter". . . . This does not apply to dragon scale coloring (haven't observed long enough and reluctant to experiment)


----------

