What kind of Betta is this?

[NealSara]

So my fish, Rainbows, that I purchased at pjs, was sold as a female betta about a month ago. However, her fins are different like 3 splits in the tail does anyone know why does she look different from other females? Could she be a male? :O

[Mo]

Your so called "female" Betta is a male. He has long ventrals, longer fins, a beard, and the body shape of a male, he also has no opivoster. Which females have and sometimes yund males. Just because he has shorter fins doesnt classify him as a female which is a common miconseption in the worl of betta keeping and classification

The rips in the fish could be due to a number of given issues such as tailbiting, ripping from sharp decorations, or aggressive tankmates. I would expect the problem to be becuase of sharp decorations as usually fin nipping, and tailbiting are more like shreads, not small incisions in his tail. Plastic plants are usually the main cause, I would remove any plastic plants you have in your tank

[Bethydan]

Yup. Congrats, it's a boy. I got as far as the ventrals and assumed it was male.

[NealSara]

we got him the way he looks now, but thanks for the advice! is this a young male then ?

[NealSara]

if i heal his fins, like medicine , will he still heal?

[Spazzfish]

He looks like my female but definatly looks like a male! She had a nasty bite out of her tail when I got her but it healed up. Its amazing what a heater and clean water can do. :)

[Luimeril]

could be a younger male, still growing in his fins. the strange splits could be from fin damage as a fry(i've seen some neat damage that healed interestingly, like the Excalibur from Aquastar, who was a female with a strange point to her tail), tail biting from himself or tankmates, or ripping on decor. keep his water clean, and it may heal back up nicely.

[betta lover1507]

she looks like a she to me, but she could probably be a young male, the ventrals aren't wide as a male would have. i used to have a LONG finned female, check for an egg spot, it could might give us a more accurate prediction :) but the dorsal is too long for female. it is most likely a male