Is This Really A Female?

[wodesorel]

I got "it" about three months ago from a chain store - set it up in a 2.5 gallon with filtration, and have been driven nuts by it ever since. It was in their "community" female tank - scared to death and hiding. I really wanted to get another female since the other three bettas we have are all male. It was so pretty and seemed to need some peace, so we chose it.

Unfortunatley, it's an androgenous betta! It looks like a female, and has some more female characteristics (the hunting, the hiding, the changing stripes at the blink of an eye), but it's also so very male (flaring, charging, building the biggest bubblenest I've ever seen, not showing any signs of having eggs). I haven't been able to say for certain that it has an ovipositer, and I've been looking!

Can anyone offer some help? I took some photos for reference, and I think that there may be an ovipositor in the third pic, but it only seems to show up on film, not when you actually look at it.

Thank you!

 

[Amerce]

Females can make bubble nests but not as good or long lasting as males.

The pic you have posted looks like a male and a very nice one at that

 

[constantine03]

That's def. a PK male. He has a very male shaped body, and nice long ventrals.

 

[MermaidMel]

Yep male from me too

 

[chesterscot]

im not sure as im new to bettas but what i can say is youve got a lovely fish

 

[sharkbaitwoohaha]

definately a pretty boy fishy!

 

[blue_betta]

oh a very pretty pk male!

 

[wodesorel]

Wow.... Gosh darnit... I wanted another girlie in this house! I'm being overrun by males! (At least the hamster is still female.) It really does explain why I've never seen the coloration on his head on the other bettas I've had. (I call him the bluegill sometimes since he has the green and brown stripes on his face.


I do have one question about PK males then - why are the so much more responsive colorwise? He gets horizontal stripes and changes color the minute he gets nervous - during waterchanges, if we walk past the tank and startle him, and anytime he gets spooked. I know males CAN get the stripes, but I've never had one that got them THIS much. I've only had females that were this responsive with changing color (getting pale or getting more vivid) and getting stripes. Is it because PKs are closer to the wildtype than regular petstore veil tails and so still retain some of the natural responses?

I just keep thinking about the poor guy when he was still in the petstore. He was in a wall tank with 7 other females - ones that I could tell were obviously female (they were a bit eggy). No wonder why he was freaked out! He was outnumbered!

 

[newfishy]

he may just be a younger guy, young bettas are more prone to stress stripes then adults. and often times male found in pet shops are at least a year old already.

 

[Bubblenester]

he may just be a younger guy, young bettas are more prone to stress stripes then adults. and often times male found in pet shops are at least a year old already.

Yes I agree, young males show stress tripes pretty readily.

 

[azulfire24]

he may just be a younger guy, young bettas are more prone to stress stripes then adults. and often times male found in pet shops are at least a year old already.

def a boy,, nice placket...
boys have more ,,, shorter squarer anal fins . female vts are longer and more triangular
he was probally hiding at the pet store cause he was very young,, a bunch of older female and one teenage guy stuck in the same place,, with no escape!!!!!! haha they ither were beating the crap out of him cause they DIDNT want any or they were all chasing him cause they DID want him,,, poor little guy!!!

 

[newfishy]

azul be glad I wasnt taking a sip of water when I read that or you would owe me a keyboard.

 

[azulfire24]

huh? oh hahah very funny tee hee

 

[wodesorel]

Thanks everyone!