I Feel Disgraced Looking At This Betta

[betta fish]

I have one just like her, probably not as bad but still deformed to a certain extent, I didn't have the heart to cull her and she lives a healthy happy life and is indeed the boss in the tank of the other girls she shares it with! really pushy girl I agree they should not be selling that one, they are making out it is a new strain when really it is just deformed and should never be bred from, but should make a nice pet for someone never the less.
Here is my girl:

 

[Assaye]

Personally I would of culled the fish, but if someone wants to breed then I really see nothing wrong with that.... I find it kinda ironic to be against the breeding of deformed fish and keeping fancy bettas at the same time.... that fish is no diff than any balloon ram or molly. It appears healthy and has great color for a deformed fish. You breed deformed fish that are weighed down by heavy and fancy fins that are easy to damage, how is a short body any worse?

I disagree. I think there is a difference between a mutation that simply changes the colour/fin shape/size of the fish and one that has clear impact on the health and natural behaviour of the animal.

For the record, I don't agree with very heavy finnage on fish (wouldn't encourage the breeding of rose and feathertailed bettas) and I don't think balloon mollys, balloon rams and fancy goldfish should have been overbred as they are.

 

[BettasFanG]

Ohhh.. Poor Her ..

 

[Mauricia]

I really think she looks more deformed than a balloon molly, but it might be the angle of the picture. To me, it looks like her organs can't possibly be correctly formed and she wouldn't be able to swim properly. Then again I guess the same is true for balloon mollys, but I dont much like them either. I don't really see any problem in keeping her alive though, but the way the seller is selling her at such a high price and as a novelty seems kind of silly, I don't see anyone paying $50 for a fish that it deformed. I also question whether or not a male would even chose to breed with her. Hopefully people wont really try to breed short bodied bettas as the normal ones look much better.