# Is this a mutation or something? This betta's fins are huge!!



## n3wport (Apr 11, 2011)

http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbettashmp&1303157410

Look at that thing!! haha, its really pretty! Has anyone ever seen of these before? would you pay that much for it? I am curious because I really like this fish

If you bred it would the baby fish look the same?


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

I personally wouldnt pay that much for it... it looks like it takes more effort for the betta to swim. Definitly looks harder for them. I wouldnt want to support that. But thats me


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

"Dumbo" bettas are the new fad. There's two camps of thought. One camp thinks is a great new development and possibly should be incorporated into the standards. The other camp of though (the one I'm in) believes that such large pectorals are a detriment to the fish and will inhibit it's swimming capabilities forcing it to be kept in smaller, shallower tanks.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

that poor thing. D: it must be so hard to swim for him! it's a pretty color, and i'd love a betta with white pec fins, but not that huge! DX


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## n3wport (Apr 11, 2011)

Yea I agree, it just looks cool! but I hope it doesnt become very popular, I only saw a few on AB


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Oh my goodness, thats the biggest Ive ever seen. Im not a huge fan of Dumbos, though Ill admit I think theyre cute when only *slightly* larger than normal, but when theyre big like this, I really think it must be exhausting just to swim around, since thats theyre min source of momentum...

If youre looking for "big ears" search that, and maybe stay away from quuiiiteee that big. Thats certainly not a fun thing for it..


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

He's beautiful... but I think that particular strain is taking it too far. That fish can't possibly be unhampered by those pectorals. They're simply massive.

My boy has a little bit of what you might call "ears", and I think it makes him adorable, but I hope we don't see too many bettas being bred to have excessive finnage in that department.


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

Well i think that it is a great development. I mean after all this looks like it was a mistake and then the breeder wanted to get them to get bigger. BUT its not much of a bad idea nor a good, its just in the middle, because it just like the Halfmoons their tails are HUGE and no one is complaining about that. So whats the problem with the "ears"? The Halfmoons are "tortured" then if you think that its hard for a (plakat) or (halfmoon plakat) to swim with these pectorals. Also plakats have such short fins and thats the reason why they are so fast. 

If listened to the old saying: "If you give up power...you get speed" But if you give up speed...you get power". And power could mean the bettas live longer or are less prone to disease dont you think? Also this will make them less wanted for fighting.


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## bettafish15 (Oct 3, 2010)

People dont complain about tail size, because the pectorals are more important for moving around. They use them to move around primarily. So if they tire themselves out all the time just trying to move, you wont have a very happy betta.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

bettalover2033 said:


> Well i think that it is a great development. I mean after all this looks like it was a mistake and then the breeder wanted to get them to get bigger. BUT its not much of a bad idea nor a good, its just in the middle, because it just like the Halfmoons their tails are HUGE and no one is complaining about that. So whats the problem with the "ears"? The Halfmoons are "tortured" then if you think that its hard for a (plakat) or (halfmoon plakat) to swim with these pectorals. Also plakats have such short fins and thats the reason why they are so fast.
> 
> If listened to the old saying: "If you give up power...you get speed" But if you give up speed...you get power". And power could mean the bettas live longer or are less prone to disease dont you think? Also this will make them less wanted for fighting.


I guess what mostly turned me off to this mutation is... have you ever looked at a betta and watched how many times they beat their pectorals per second? Even when they're not actually moving through the water they use them to stabilize themselves, they're constantly moving. I'm just not convinced that the fish pictured can move effectively. 

I have thought about halfmoons' finnage, and I think that normally it isn't excessive to the point of discomfort to the animal. And if it is uncomfortable, the fish will just bite it all off anyway. I don't know if a fish could 'trim' its pectorals...


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

There's a happy median between long fins and excessive finnage on long finned fish IMO. That's why I won't breed a fish that is hampered by its fins. All of my long fined fish have no trouble swimming around, even in a current. That is because they are WELL bred, WELL fed, and WELL cared for. That's the difference between long fins and this. Long fins can still lead very normal lives in even large tanks. Too big pectorals is bad for business.


Instead of making the pectorals larger breeders should work towards making them colored. Half the attraction to these new pectorals is they're colorful.


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## lilchiwolf (Jan 10, 2011)

My new white SD has one dumbo fin and one normal fin. He looks like Nemo XD


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

FuulieQ said:


> I guess what mostly turned me off to this mutation is... have you ever looked at a betta and watched how many times they beat their pectorals per second? Even when they're not actually moving through the water they use them to stabilize themselves, they're constantly moving. I'm just not convinced that the fish pictured can move effectively.
> 
> I have thought about halfmoons' finnage, and I think that normally it isn't excessive to the point of discomfort to the animal. And if it is uncomfortable, the fish will just bite it all off anyway. I don't know if a fish could 'trim' its pectorals...


Thank you, now i see how important it really is for them to just have short "ears" /pecs.

Well, maybe it was just an experiment and should now be stopped because its possible for the breeders not to know how much trouble it is for this fish to move efficiently.


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## Fermin (Apr 18, 2010)

Beautiful color.


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## tokala (Feb 20, 2011)

PewPewPew said:


> Oh my goodness, thats the biggest Ive ever seen. Im not a huge fan of Dumbos, though Ill admit I think theyre cute when only *slightly* larger than normal, but when theyre big like this, I really think it must be exhausting just to swim around, since thats theyre min source of momentum...
> 
> If youre looking for "big ears" search that, and maybe stay away from quuiiiteee that big. Thats certainly not a fun thing for it..


ditto


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## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

Most of the bettas available for sale today are actually mutations that were selectively bred. For example, the long finned brightly colored multiple branched halfmoon bettas that many of us adore would simply not survive in the wild for long. Then again, most domesticated animals would not survive in the wild for long. So......:|


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

Dragonlady said:


> Most of the bettas available for sale today are actually mutations that were selectively bred. For example, the long finned brightly colored multiple branched halfmoon bettas that many of us adore would simply not survive in the wild for long. Then again, most domesticated animals would not survive in the wild for long. So......:|


Survival in the wild isn't really the point. It's when you start to have doubts about that animal's quality of life even in a controlled environment in captivity that you should start taking a closer look at the mutations you're breeding for.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

bettalover2033 said:


> Thank you, now i see how important it really is for them to just have short "ears" /pecs.
> 
> Well, maybe it was just an experiment and should now be stopped because its possible for the breeders not to know how much trouble it is for this fish to move efficiently.


Personally, I think that this will be around for a while, but I doubt it will catch on in the mainstream. It might become part of the standards in a moderate form, but I don't see them putting in something this... massive. :U


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## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

FuulieQ said:


> Survival in the wild isn't really the point. It's when you start to have doubts about that animal's quality of life even in a controlled environment in captivity that you should start taking a closer look at the mutations you're breeding for.


I totally agree with you.


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## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

This is exactly the reason why I don't breed or sell rosetails.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Dragonlady said:


> This is exactly the reason why I don't breed or sell rosetails.


+1


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

Dragonlady said:


> This is exactly the reason why I don't breed or sell rosetails.


What's wrong with rosetails? D:


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

FuulieQ said:


> What's wrong with rosetails? D:


Their fins are WAY too big to the point that they are really struggling to move around.


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## DoNotDeclaw (Apr 1, 2011)

bettalover2033 said:


> Their fins are WAY too big to the point that they are really struggling to move around.


Holy Cow! I never really looked at a rosetail before, so I looked it up. There's ones with around 230 degree spread, and they're trying to develop a full moon Betta with a 360 degree spread. Halfmoons already have an awkward time.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

bettalover2033 said:


> Their fins are WAY too big to the point that they are really struggling to move around.


Really? I've never actually seen a rosetail, so I had no idea. I assumed they got around the same way halfmoons do.


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

FuulieQ said:


> Really? I've never actually seen a rosetail, so I had no idea. I assumed they got around the same way halfmoons do.


Well rosetails have a little more trouble because their tails are really full, so it makes it a bit harder. Some i have seen would rest a lot. 




DoNotDeclaw said:


> Holy Cow! I never really looked at a rosetail before, so I looked it up. There's ones with around 230 degree spread, and they're trying to develop a full moon Betta with a 360 degree spread. Halfmoons already have an awkward time.


Yes


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## NikiandBeyond (Nov 26, 2010)

Without intention I wound up with a rosetail. His fins were real short when I got him, and I don't know how extreme of a rosetail he is, as they're still growing out. So far, no problems. He's quite active, and he doesn't exhaust himself or seem to struggle or seem unhappy. He's no slower or less active than when his fins had been trimmed by shrimp (it was even suggested at the time that he could be a plakat). And he may be slower than a one, but I wouldn't call him impaired or awkward.

But on topic, the Dumbos look like they'd have a hard time.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Dumbo bettas don't look like they'd be able to swim against a current, or escape from rude tank mates. I agree with a previous post; the pectorals should be colored, but not huge.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

Roestails throw a lot of bad genetic mutations which is the main reason against brreding them


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## bettalover2033 (Feb 17, 2010)

1fish2fish said:


> Roestails throw a lot of bad genetic mutations which is the main reason against brreding them


Also very true!


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