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ibbledibble said:

i thought mustard gas was when the fins were yellow? hence "mustard"?

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The original Mustard gas bettas had a solid blue/greenish body and yellow fins....
nowadays, the term mustard gas is a very plastic term. The pattern of the colors of the different MGs differs from fish to fish. Some fishes also have blue/green/black edges around their fins while others lack these features. Most of the "modern" Mustard don't even come close to the original Mustard gas colourings!

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[b][i]http://vanriel.myadsl.nl/BT-AABcolorgenetics.htm[/i][/b]

What is a Mustard Gas?
By: Victoria Parnell
Submitted: 3/31/2006

These days, the term Mustard Gas (or "MG") is used, incorrectly as it happens, to describe any bicolored fish that possesses a green, blue, or steel blue body and yellow or orange fins. This particular color combination has, in fact, been in existence about as long as the Non Red gene itself, since it is fairly easy to breed an iridescent betta to a Non Red betta and get iridescent/yellow bicolors by the 2nd generation.

The "Original" Mustard Gas
The term "Mustard Gas" was originally coined by breeder/hobbyist Jude Als to describe his particular line of multicolored bettas. The original Mustard Gas bettas were green-bodied fish with variegated bands of blue or green, yellow, and black. In 1999, Als added a band of white as well, developing certain specimens of Mustard Gas into a four-banded butterfly, the colors of which were never clearly separated, but rather run together, creating an effect that looked like gas to its creator.

In the late 90's, Als sold some of his Mustard Gas fish to other breeders, some of whom outcrossed the line, but retained the strain name. Therefore, the modern Mustard Gas fish is, today, so far removed from Als' original vision as to be a completely different color/pattern combination.

One of the most intriguing aspect of the Mustard Gas strain name was the controversy it caused among breeders and hobbyists all over the world who were able to acquire fish from Als' strain and, once having spawned them, were at a loss for what to call them. Als was very protective of his Mustard Gas name, and felt that once the pure line was outcrossed in any way, the resulting fish could no longer be called "Mustard Gas". He rallied hard to get others to stop using his strain name, even to the point of securing a trademark for the name in 2002. The primary focus of his campaign was Marianne Lewis, to whom he had given 1 pure Mustard Gas fish, a male. Lewis bred that male to several female fish in her fishroom from different lines, and many fish came of a result of those matings that looked, to her eyes, identical to the Mustard Gas fish she obtained from Als. She bred and sold these "Mustard Gas" fish until Als asked her to quit, at which point she changed the name to "Salamander". This added to the confusion, since people started equating Mustard Gas outcrosses with Salamander, and any red bicolor fish they bred that came from a yellow bicolor outcross was named "Salamander". (It should be noted, however, that Lewis' Salamanders are actually yellow bicolors that resemble the Mustard Gas, and since the creator of the term (Lewis) does not even use the strain name anymore, all those "Salamanders" you see out there are probably as fake as the "MG's".)

The original US Trademark of the Mustard Gas strain name was filed like this:

Word Mark MUSTARD GAS
Goods and Services IC 031. US 001 046. G & S: live tropical fish, namely, betta splendens. FIRST USE: 19991001. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20000811
Mark Drawing Code (5) WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS IN STYLIZED FORM
Serial Number 76390593
Filing Date April 1, 2002
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition December 17, 2002
Registration Number 2695343
Registration Date March 11, 2003
Owner (REGISTRANT) Als, Jude DBA Uncle Junkin INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 2838 Sacramento Street Berkeley CALIFORNIA 94702
Attorney of Record DAVID D. STEIN
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

As can be clearly seen from the sheer numbers of sellers offering "Mustard Gas" fish for sale, even into 2006, it's obvious that the use of the Trademarked name has completely spiraled out of control. If the above trademark is still in effect, anyone making a profit selling fish as "Mustard Gas" are in clear trademark violation.

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D1 - Dark Bicolor
By: Victoria Parnell
Submitted: 12/10/2004

Dark Bicolor bettas are fish that have body colors that are among the six recognized Dark Colors. The fins can be one of the other Dark colors, or it can be one of the recognized light colors. If these fish do not have the described dark undercoating, they are disqualified.

Contrast is key, with the body and fin colors clearly separated at the junction between body and fin. There should be no other colors present other than the two primary Bicolors. The presense of another color, however slight, is considered a fault. For example, a red body with heavy iridescence is judged in accordance with the Standard for Reds. If the fins are black, they are scored presented in the Black color standard, meaning that if the black on the fins of a Bicolor betta has iridescence on it, it will be faulted to the degree of which it is inadequate.

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