I'm confused, how do you know it's a marble?

[NIB BETTA]

Okay, I know marble betta can/will change colors, but is a fancy, fantasy, monster, multi-color and marble the same thing? I see all of these names used on Aquabid and now I am confused as to what my betta is. He was listed as a fantasy betta, so I assumed the patterns would be permanent or else he would have been listed as marble. Well I was obviously wrong, because he is turning blue and purple. My other two betta's that were also listed as fantasy have not changed (yet).

I checked Betta Splendens, but the only type listed is marble.

[Oldfishlady]

Often all those names are made-up by the breeders and have no real meaning, I would refer to the IBC.
With that said...if he is changing color he most likely has a marble gene.

[mysquishy]

I just call all of them marbles. lol Sorry I am no help.

[NIB BETTA]

I did a quick google search and it appears even the experts don't agree. It's almost like it is a luck of the draw. One noted if the betta has a white head and splotchy pattern then it has the marble gene. Well, this describes Thunder to a tee.

Another listed that even solid color bettas can carry the marble gene, but it will normally show when the betta is young and still growing.

I'm even more confused than before. I want to get a HMPK, but I want to know it won't change drastically. These are the ones I am considering.

[mysquishy]

OH WOW! I love them both. If it was me I would get the blue and yellow one. :) You have great taste in bettas.

[NIB BETTA]

Originally Posted by mysquishy

I just call all of them marbles. lol Sorry I am no help.

LOL!!! At this rate, I'm with you.

I really like the yellow tuxedo look on him. HMPKs come in so many colors and patterns it is hard to choose.

[BettaxFishxCrazy]

Wow, they're gorgeous! I love hthe blue and yellow too! You can't really tell what color marbles will change unless you know what the parents and even "grandparents" look like. But if you're buying from a breeder, you'll probably be able to get information on that.

[doggyhog]

With marbles, they hardly EVER stay the same color.. They will go through a change then might stay that way for a little bit, then change more. One of my boys gets really ugly looking for a week (as in mutt like) or two then POW gorgeous black marble boy is back!

[NIB BETTA]

So does he revert back to his original colors or is it always something new?

[1fish2fish]

With marble genes you never know what your going to get. My fish is completely blue now, you would never know he was a marble. Some marbles stop changing once they're matured, others continue to change their entire lives. There is no way to predict what color they will be or what color they will turn into.

Both fish you listed are marbles. Pretty much any fish your going to get with splotchy colors is going to be a marble. There can even be solid color bettas that either have the marble geno or will marble after you buy them.