So, what would you call this guy?

[finney]

Hi, long time lurker, first time caller.

Long story short, was at the LFS last night and just as I was about to leave, I decided to take one last walk through the fish room - I'd just geeked out about finding Crystal Black Shrimp and hadn't really looked at much else, just snapped them right up.

On the table where they bag fish for customers was a sign pointing to about 10 bettas in cups:

Locally raised bettas! Males: $5 Females $4.50 All fish male unless otherwise noted.

I picked up a few cups and didn't see anything special. Red. Blue. A peach female that was sort of nifty. And then I saw him. Him.

Who? Him.



That's Kaspar. And I don't know what to call him. Partial albino cellophane? Occular albino? Cool as heck?

And what kind of tail is that? It's not rounded like a plakat, but it isn't anything else either.

He's red eyed and blind as a bat, poor thing. When he swims the upper levels of his heavily planted 5 gallon home, he just jets around bumping into things. During feeding, he smells food and then picks around the gravel until he finds something. Too bad he's blind so there will be no breeding him. :(

Although, it's sort of fortuitous, considering his tank mates are shrimp. Since he can't see them, they'll be friends rather than snacks.

Here's one more of Kaspar in the first moments in his new digs:

[MMAsac]

hes beautiful, very nice find!!!

[Myates]

Aww he's so precious!
Definitely a cellophane.. as for albino, looks to be that way, but if he is blind that could be the reason for the red eyes. Usually albinos have no color to them I believe. I could be wrong though.

Can't tell the tail type yet, as it looks like either he was, or another one, munched on it. So I guess it will be a surprise! Either way, great find!

[bkelizabeth]

Blind or not, he's cute as a button! Poor little guy! Glad to hear someone like yourself noticed him :D <3 I'm sure you're taking great care of him!

[Fermin]

Aww what a cute little guy!

[finney]

Thanks, all. I was very fortunate to find such a beautiful fish!

Originally Posted by bkelizabeth

Blind or not, he's cute as a button! Poor little guy! Glad to hear someone like yourself noticed him :D <3 I'm sure you're taking great care of him!

Awww thank you. I definitely love all my animals and try to give them the best home that I can. I have a special needs kitty as well (born deaf) and I don't even think of him that way. I think there's a lot to be learned from "disabled" animals.

And even a fish has feelings. He didn't ask to be my fish, so it's my responsibility to make him glad he is.

[carzz]

The red eye makes him seem albino. They have have red eyes due to lack of color pigments in the eye, thus showing red due to the blood.
But he's got color on him (unless it's a flash or glare of the photo) so maybe he isn't albino.
Nevertheless, he is cute :P

[Pewmew]

could develop into a delta tail, or maybe veil

[Bambi]

he looks kinda like a blue pastel(or a cellophane, can't quite tell as i never took flash photos of my cellophane girls before they passed) in the photos, who(if his eyes are really red) has ocular albinism.

[betta lover1507]

he is an unique pretty fishie ^-^ i looked at betta talk for his finnage and he is a "lyre tail"? check for yourself:
http://bettatalk.com/betta_finnage.htm