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Female Betta Fish Color Variations

blue male and three female betta fish
aluxum / Getty Images

Among aquarium enthusiasts who keep bettas, it is usually the male fish that are known as the "colorful ones." Oftentimes the males are favored over the females not only for their color, but also because males have longer tails and more dominating personalities. But this doesn't mean that the females are all drab, colorless fish.

The betta fish is native to Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia, and while most bettas sold in pet stores today are only distantly related to the natives of Southeast Asia, they still have some features in common. The female bettas tend to have simpler coloring and features. Over the years, these differences have been exaggerated through breeding, with males increasingly bred for bright coloration and long, flowing fins and tails. Little effort has been made to selectively breed such traits in the female fish.

What is an assorted Female betta?

The term "assorted" describing a female betta fish simply refers to the various, or assorted, colors of fish available. Some females are sold as assorted fish in groups, but many aquarium owners still prefer to keep their female bettas in separate tanks due to the aggressive nature of this species when living in the same tank together.

Nevertheless, female betta fish are lovely, colorful, and anything but boring! This gallery of photos features different colors of female bettas taken by their breeder, Daniella Vereeken.

Here is a key to the abbreviations used in the fish names:

  • CTPK = Crowntail Plakat
  • HM = Half Moon
  • BF = Butterfly
  • HMPK = Half Moon Plakat
  • PK = Plakat
  • 01 of 08

    Traditional PK Yellow Dragon Female

    Side View Of Siamese Fighting Fish
    Jaturapat Pattanacheewin / Getty Images

    This is a traditional plakat yellow dragon female, The term plakat comes from the Thai word plakad, which means "fighting fish." The term also applies to other varieties of betta fish with shorter fins.

    Because of its shorter fins, this variety is also known as a short-finned fighter. In certain parts of the world, these fish are actually bred to fight. Males of this variety are bigger and thicker, with a gill beard that drops down below the chin. Females lack this feature and are smaller and thinner.

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  • 02 of 08

    Traditional PK Red Dragon Female

    Traditional PK Red Dragon Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    This plakat betta is a bright red hue. Many plakats are more active than the long-finned version of bettas because they aren't held back by excessive flowing fins. This type is also quite resistant to disease, making it a favorite among betta collectors and pet owners.

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  • 03 of 08

    HMPK Turquoise Female

    HMPK Turquoise Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    The half-moon plakat features the shorter fins typical of the plakat variety but has a tail shaped like a half moon. When these traits are combined, it produces a fish that can still zoom around in the water even though it has a partially flowing, ornate tail.

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  • 04 of 08

    HMPK Marble Female

    HMPK Marble Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    This silvery half moon plakat displays the signature shorter fins of the typical plakat betta as well as the half moon's tail. HMPKs come in various colors and are available as either males or females. Their relative durability among betta varieties makes them and other plakats popular with pet owners.

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  • 05 of 08

    HMPK Copper Female

    HMPK Copper Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    This half moon plakat betta has a coppery sheen in her scales. Overall, this female betta shows all the colors of the rainbow in subtle tints within her metallic sheen.

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  • 06 of 08

    HM Red Dragon Female

    HM Red Dragon Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    The half moon bettas were developed by Peter Goettner, an American breeder. This variety is not as aggressive as the plakat and is slightly more difficult to breed. Half moon males are bred for fuller tails, which have a wide span and flowing shape. The female exhibits a more conservative tail with the characteristic half-moon shape.

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  • 07 of 08

    HM Red BF Female

    HM Red BF Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    This brightly-hued red half-moon butterfly betta is recognized as a butterfly because of the distinctive bands of color on the tail and fins. For this red female, the darkest tinge begins at the base of her tail and fins and extends until it reaches a band of silvery white on its edges.

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  • 08 of 08

    CTPK Multicolor Female

    CTPK Multicolor Female
    Daniella Vereeken

    Also sometimes known as a fringetail, the crowntail plakat owes its name to the fin rays that give the tail the appearance of a crown, with rays extending beyong the fin membrane. Full crowntails have longer fins and tails, but this plakat variety has the typical crown-shaped tail but with the shorter fins of the typical plakat.

As one of the most popular aquarium fish species, there are many more color and fin varieties of Bettas available now than ever. Multicolored fish are becoming more common, and female Bettas are getting as colorful as the males. The advantage of these color female Bettas is that they can usually be kept together in an aquarium, unlike the males which can only be kept individually or they will fight.