# Do male bettas have...you know...



## snowbetta (Sep 21, 2014)

I am learning about breeding bettas and wanted to know if male bettas have penises and if not how does the male fertilize the eggs.


----------



## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

They are not livebearers, so no. 

In betta splendens (Fighting fish), specifically, the male will build a 'nest' of bubbles at the surface of the water. He will display for a female by flaring, then, if she thinks he is a good enough mate, she will curl up, and he curl over her, called wrapping/embracing. She will release eggs from an egg tube (ovipositor) and he will release sperm to fertilize them. There is no penetraition, it all happens outside the fish in the water. 

The male then picks up the fertilised eggs and puts them into the bubble nest, and keeps putting them back until they hatch (an normally does this after until, in captivity, he is removed). The female has no more to do with the eggs after releasing them. Its a paternal fish.


----------



## trilobite (May 18, 2011)

They fertilise the eggs externally. So female will release unfertilsed eggs into the water and the male will release sperm, thats how most fish do it. Its a much easier way to fertilise hundreds of eggs


----------



## snowbetta (Sep 21, 2014)

Thanks Guys it makes sense!


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

trilobite said:


> They fertilise the eggs externally. So female will release unfertilsed eggs into the water and the male will release sperm, thats how most fish do it. Its a much easier way to fertilise hundreds of eggs


That is absolutely incorrect.


----------



## snowbetta (Sep 21, 2014)

Nimble how do they breed then


----------



## snowbetta (Sep 21, 2014)

I know they embrace but what actually happens how does the sperm get to the egg


----------



## Alaura123 (Jul 4, 2014)

Actually Trilo is correct, and um how do they breed ?


----------



## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

Please try to not comment on posts you think are rude, use the alert button so moderators can decide if posts need to be removed or edited. Chances are when you do comment on them, your post will have to be removed or edited as well.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Trilobite is absolutely correct on every point- she would know, too. When you watch how they breed it all makes complete sense. 

The actual sex part of the breeding process happens when the male and female wrap around each other, to get their genitals closer to each other (the male does NOT "squeeze" the female, as some may suggest). Once they are in position, they female releases unfertilized eggs into the water (which you can see) while the male releases his sperm (invisible) (I believe it's called milt in aquatic animals). The sperm in the water fertilize the eggs that fall through it on their way out. This process repeats until one fish terminates the spawn, and then the male proceeds to care for the eggs, etc. 

Livebearers don't have penises by the way... They have gonopodiums, which work similarly to one but are actually modified fins.


----------



## BlueInkFish (Jan 13, 2013)

+1 to Matt! 
It's all very interesting when you put deep thought into it! Well atleast for me it is


----------



## indjo (Jun 6, 2010)

+1 to those who explained the breeding process.


----------



## Nimble (Aug 31, 2014)

MattsBettas said:


> Trilobite is absolutely correct on every point- she would know, too. When you watch how they breed it all makes complete sense.
> 
> The actual sex part of the breeding process happens when the male and female wrap around each other, to get their genitals closer to each other (the male does NOT "squeeze" the female, as some may suggest). Once they are in position, they female releases unfertilized eggs into the water (which you can see) while the male releases his sperm (invisible) (I believe it's called milt in aquatic animals). The sperm in the water fertilize the eggs that fall through it on their way out. This process repeats until one fish terminates the spawn, and then the male proceeds to care for the eggs, etc.
> 
> Livebearers don't have penises by the way... They have gonopodiums, which work similarly to one but are actually modified fins.


I guess I misunderstood what Trilobite meant when she said what she did. I incorrectly assumed that she meant that the female would release eggs, then the male would swim by and release his milt over them, in the way that Salmon or Bass would, by having a little nesting weir. My apologies.


----------

