Petsmart Bettas- White as a ghost?

[Layman]

I'm very new to internet Betta sites, but have kept Bettas off and on since childhood. While at a local Petsmart yesterday I came across their shipment before it was unboxed. When looking through them, I noticed there was a pure white Dragonscale. Normal eyes, and no discernible coloration or translucent quality - just white. It didn't even look like Dragonscale, though that's how it was labled. I also noticed a short-finned male being kept in a community tank that was translucent (yellow/flesh colored, not glass) with a few jet black scales on him. What are your, the community's, thoughts on these two? The DS looked like a female, but I couldn't find the dot I know to look for on it, and they don't lable the DS's male or female. Any input is appreciated.

[Bombalurina]

The dot (the ovipostor) isn't a guarantee that you've got a female anyway. Some females don't display them, and some wacky males do. It's easier to look at the size of their gill beard when they flare (it's very rare for a female's beard to extend under her chin more than a tiny bit, whilst a male's head should be completely engulfed when he flares) or their fins. Even on a plakat male, the ventral and anal fins should be much bigger than on a female. They are also more square and less pointy.

I hope this helps somewhat. :) Of course, if the betta is a juvenile, you may not be able to tell at all!

[Sena Hansler]

Those two sound interesting =D I love finding unique bettas like that.

[Layman]

On a different note; PetCo nearest my home got a KILLER shipment in. I'm talking Plakats labeled as HM, but with DS, butterfly traits, and marbling. Really healthy and vibrant. They also have some of that steely grey that throws color when it moves.

One was by far the most aggressive fish I remember ever seeing. Churning the water at me.

[Bambi]

My boy tux was an all white dragon scale when i bought him, he marbled out though before passing.

I also use the mix of methods when I sex.Mostly the beard thing mixed with fin observations.

[dramaqueen]

The dragonscale was probably a plakat male.

[Chuckee]

I'm not partial to whites and the pale ones... they look unnatural to me, and many of the ones I've had a good look at are mildly deformed.
I have one, though, as I've always been unable to control myself when it comes to feistiness... He was this jaundice color with dark splotches when I got him, but there were cups and cups of dead fish and clamped fins, and there he was, all like "I'm not dead, I'm not dead, look!" and I was like, "he's alive, gotta keep him that way"
He's a sweetheart and has darkened considerably... he's kind of a hot cocoa color, with transparent fins and dragon-pattern has gone black. He's a little on the small (and short) side, with a veeeery slight bend to his tail, but I've decided that as far as culls go (that's what all PetSmart bettas are, at least in my area) he's not a bad fish at all.
Oh wow... shut up, right? <<<--- I just signed up... am enthusiastic. =D