# Plakat gender issues



## MI3 (Feb 3, 2014)

Hi everyone, My partner and I are pretty new to fish keeping (other than the typical murky childhood goldfish tank) and we seem to have so far been rather successful with our new habitats. We have now got 5 male fighters (2 long tails, 1 veil tail and 2 crown tails), two females and an unknown.
We have gender issues!!

So heres the deal... 

My partner (bettavet) and I bought a beautiful white long tail boy yesterday but unfortunately the store had sold us a sick fish (we think knowingly) and he didn't make the trip home, so today we returned and complained and they replaced him with another white fighter, this time a plaket to which they insist is a male, however upon returning home and placing in QT among other males, we notice he doesn't flare or seem to have the 'beard' fin. 'It' acts very much like our females, shmoozing and showing off to the males either side of her.
"But the man in the store said it was a male!".
I have also tried to find the ovipositor and am convinced it is a female, but then I have read that young males may have this white spot too. So confused!

Can anyone help distinguish the sex of our new beta please??


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Looks like a young male but I think I'm voting female for this little one. It still has some growing out to do. Could you feed him/her so the belly get's nice and around and then get a profile picture again? This will help to see if there are ovaries behind the stomach or not since ovaries are literally the only definite way to telling male/female.

Females do flare but as a general rule their beards are usually smaller and don't extend as far, however I have had large bearded females before. The ventral fins look rather long to me to be a female, but again, getting a better picture with a full tummy would help.


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## MI3 (Feb 3, 2014)

Thanks lilnaugrim.

I have been trying all day to get a decent picture but this little one is camera shy and fidgets when I snap. I have fed him/her but this one doesn't like to eat much so I still can't see the ovaries, if any.

I have been to get another opinion from a second LFS and just by the description and a couple of photos, they agree with what you have said and the info I had read elsewhere but they are still telling us that it is male. Their argument: The importer sold it to the store as a male, so therefore it must be a male. Why would the importer get it wrong and sell it for a fraction of the price when white females are so sought after in New Zealand.

In some ways I agree, but gut tells me otherwise.
S/he has started flaring but the beard is almost non-existent.

I guess only time will tell. Either way, we are happy to have such a beautiful fish.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah, even breeders get confused sometimes. I'm usually very good at sexing Betta's now but still the occasional one stumps me as well and considering this fish probably came from a spawn of around 200 or so...it's easy to get lost in the fish lol. Can you perhaps get a video and upload it on YouTube or something? That might be easier.


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## MI3 (Feb 3, 2014)

So I have managed to get some photos of this shy fella. 

We have just moved 'it' to the female tank but separated in barracks to see how s/he responds and behaves with female company.

I am unsure if those are stress lines on the sides or not, but I believe I can clearly see the egg spot in the last image. Also is that the ovary silhouetted in the light?

Does this help?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yes!!! You have a beautiful opaque white PK female!!! Yeah that cone shape object you see silhouetted is her ovaries for sure! Well, congrats on having a beautiful fish :-D


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## MI3 (Feb 3, 2014)

Ahhh So excited!!! Thank you so much!!


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## BettaVet (Jan 28, 2014)

Thank You lilaugrim, you are right on the money. I received a breeding PK Pair this morning and the female is identical to the fish in question.


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