Question on betta tail genetics...

[endparenthesis]

I just remembered a question I meant to ask you guys.

What happens when you breed two bettas with different tail types? Do you end up with some of one type and some of the other type? Or do you end up with a mixed version of the two? I've seen crowntails in pet stores where the rays are barely extended past the rest of the fin, which leads me to believe their tails have been "diluted" with another tail type. That or they are full crowntails with bad breeding.

And if you can in fact mix the tail types, without knowing its lineage do you ever really know if a female is a reasonably full crowntail?

 

[juliethegr8t]

As far as I know, different tail types are either dominant or recessive. For example, crowntails are recessive. However, if you breed a crowntail and say a veil (with no crown genes), you would get veils, though they would carry the crowntail gene. This means that if THEY were to have babies, they could have crowntail babies. Do this make sense? I know it's all very confusing.

 

[endparenthesis]

Gotcha. That makes me feel better... with females especially. Thank you.

So I'm guessing tiny rays just means someone somewhere is breeding for them whether they realize it or not?

 

[endparenthesis]

Hmm... just got off my butt and did a little research myself. Turns out "crown/comb" isn't a tail type, it's a trait that can be found on any tail type. Plus there are different percentages of ray extension and different types of rays!

So now this is way more complicated than I originally thought.

 

[rain-]

There is this great site I go reading when ever I have some extra time: Bettas by Jim Sonnier - Genetics

"The Long Fin mutant is dominant over Short Fin."
"Doubletail traits in Bettas is recessive to the normal Singletail"
"An important consideration when working with Half Moons is the fact that they do not breed true. From Half Moon parents you may get no Half Moon offspring, or only one or two. Typically you will get less than 10% Half Moon offspring."

And this other site tells about crowntails: Bettatalk

"Crowntail trait is dominant, meaning if you breed a crowntail to a non crowntail, all fry will show some fringes, although some more than others"

 

[juliethegr8t]

Hmm... looks like I heard some misleading information. Whoops. ) Reverse all I said...

And yes, it's incredibly complicated! Especially when you get into colors, red wash, blah blah blah.

 

[rain-]

I bred CT male with a veiltail female. All the babies got some sort of crowntail, but none of them are show quality, not even close. And I don't have any females, I got two, but they both died accidentally. I've never had such bad luck with bettas. Their father died during spawning and only 13 babies survived and just two of them were girls

Now I am searching for crowntail females to get decent crowntails after some generations. The colors are so awesome that I really need to breed my boys even though they are mutts

And yes, it's not so simple when you start to play with genetics. But it's fascinating.

 

[StanTheBetta]

I think when I get my 20 I might try to breed some bettas. My gfs actually. She has a beautiful male with the butterfly pattern. His name is skittles cuz he has all the beautiful skittles colors in his tale from red to purple. She also has a female that appears to be a partial butterfly because her fins go from red to white. Do you think this would be a good project?

 

[White Whale]

Now I am searching for crowntail females to get decent crowntails after some generations. The colors are so awesome that I really need to breed my boys even though they are mutts

And yes, it's not so simple when you start to play with genetics. But it's fascinating.

Oh man, I wish you lived close by. The LFS I go to in Chinatown has a whole slew of female crowntails! And relatively inexpensive, too. Most are cambodian crowntail females, and a few atr blue/turquoise females. I see the same females week after week. Looks like no one has an interest in them.... Poor babies....