Joined
·
6,155 Posts
Betta Genetics is quite complicated in the sense that bettas have excessively been mixed bred for years. A betta with pure base genetic codes is very rare. Consequently it’s very difficult to predict the outcome of spawns, specially when mixing colors. To add to this complication, one female can lay between 700 – 1300 eggs per spawn. But only few will survive to adulthood thus arrises the question of which genetic codes survived.
As a general guide I wish to compile spawn outcomes to give people a general idea of what their pair will produce – a non scientific source of information, easy to understand. Therefore I’m asking all you breeders to help post your breeding pair and their results to get as many spawn varieties as possible. Such knowledge has helped me understand genetic make ups, and hopefully this will to some extent help others too.
I don’t mean to be rude but since this is meant to be an information thread only, I’d appreciate it if you don’t post non information here. Please ask any questions on a new thread so people searching possible outcomes will not have to read pages of non informational comments.
I wish to thank members on this forum for giving me ideas/opinions (too many to mention).
.........................................................
.........................................................
I’ll start off with some threoretical (mainly from bettysplendens.com) and experience based probabilities. I will group them according to their layer;
Iridescence layer (Green, Steel blue, and Royal blue)
These colors are found on the top layer and would create relatively similar variations when crossed to other colors. This layer is dominant over all colors and will physically effect coloration.
True green genes should produce green fry
True steel blue genes should produce steel blue fry
True royal blue genes should produce a combination of royal blue, green and steel blue.
Though most have mixed genetic codes, nevertheless mixing irid colors should produce these three colors. A “stray” due to mixed genes might be a dark blackish/brownish body with a tint of blue or green on the body or fins.
* Irid colors x cherry red = mostly irid colored body with red fins (both full or partial), irid colors and cherry red (both with or without irid markings on the body).
* Irid colors x black = irid colors, black, and black with irid colors through out the body and fins – traditional/wild colors
- Irid x black + some red = same as above plus multis with red fins.
* Irid colors x Cambodian = irid with red fins, red cambodian (with or without irid layer), cambodian like colors with irid fins, celophane/whitish with irid layer on it, irid colors (often softer shade), pastel.
........................................................
Purple
BY purple I mean a true purple, not a blue, salamander/lavender, copper or any other color with a purple-ish shade.
Marcus Gutzeit : pinkish male from a multicolor line x red female = bubblegum/light purple.
Victoria Parnell : A purple-ish shade of royal blue male from a BF line x blue-red female from a black-red and steel (melano geno) cross = violet blue
Local breeders in my area has produced multi purples from a salamander line. The color has yet to be perfected and doesn’t breed true.
.......................................................
Black layer (cambodian, Blond, and Melano)
Scientifically speaking, this layer carries at least one of three main color genes; ie. Cambodian, blond, and melano which are said to be recessive (Chris Yew, Basic color genetics of betta, bettysplenden.com). Most recessive is the blond, followed by cambodian and then black (Jim Sonnier + experience). Unlike irid colors, mix breeding this color layer with other colors will produce contrasting results.
Cambodian
* Cambodian x irid color = irid-red multi, red cambodian (with or without irid layer), cambodian like colors with irid fins, celophane/whitish with irid layer on it, irid colors (often softer shade), pastel.
* Cambodian x cherry red = cherry red, cambodian, a lighter shade of red or darker shade of cambodian (with and without tints of iridescence – depending on the cmabodian’s background).
*** a combined genetic cambodian may also throw yellow and orange
* Cambodian x bright red = mostly cambodian like colors with more red on the body, a few red, yellow and orange (often rather pale - depends on the background of both)
* Cambodian x black = multi black with red fins. Some may have a rather dominant irid layer on the body, some may show less color (what ever color) which may indicate “blond” effect, cambodian like colors
Blond
I have no experience with blond genes or do not realise having any sinse it’s not physically visible like the cambodian - so I can’t give any examples. Instead I’ve quoted Joep’s explanation to give an idea of what to mix breed to create certain colors related to this gene.
“Blond bettas show a reduced density of black pigment on the body (between cambodian and black). The mutation that is responsible for the blond trait is recessive to the normal black gene. Some colors like pastels, yellows and opaques are associated with the blond gene.But the blond gene can also be found in combination with other colors like black, steel blue and red. Blonde steels will appear silver, blonde blacks will look washed out and pale and blonde reds exhibit a bright Red color, rather than the usual dark "Cherry" Red.”
(Joep van Esch, Color definition & genetics, in bettyplendens.com)
Melano
Scientifically this gene is said to show intense black. But physically, IMO, the regular black looks darker but displays too much iridescence. Sinse most female melanos are infertile, to produce melanos, you have to cross melano males to steel blue females (or other colored females)– the reason many melanos physically have steel blue layer on the body.
* Melano x any color = multi colored (melano geno – F1)
* Inbreed F1 (melano geno) = some melano, melano geno, regular
* Inbreed F2 melano x melano geno = Black melano, melano geno
Black lace (recessive to normal dark colors - Joep van Esch)
Is considered to have less black and always have too much irid layer on body and fin. The end of the fins should fade to a clear or smoke appearance.
* Black lace x irid = Multi - darker shade of irid with or without black/dark fins, irid, if either carry red genes – multi with red fins, traditional colors – black/irid body with red, black or irid fins.
* Black lace x cambodian = multi black, multi irid, cambodian,
* Black lace x red = black body with red fins, multi black (wild color), darker shade of cherry red, regular cherry red (with or without black marking/irid. on the scale’s edges)
.......................................................
As a general guide I wish to compile spawn outcomes to give people a general idea of what their pair will produce – a non scientific source of information, easy to understand. Therefore I’m asking all you breeders to help post your breeding pair and their results to get as many spawn varieties as possible. Such knowledge has helped me understand genetic make ups, and hopefully this will to some extent help others too.
I don’t mean to be rude but since this is meant to be an information thread only, I’d appreciate it if you don’t post non information here. Please ask any questions on a new thread so people searching possible outcomes will not have to read pages of non informational comments.
I wish to thank members on this forum for giving me ideas/opinions (too many to mention).
.........................................................
.........................................................
I’ll start off with some threoretical (mainly from bettysplendens.com) and experience based probabilities. I will group them according to their layer;
Iridescence layer (Green, Steel blue, and Royal blue)
These colors are found on the top layer and would create relatively similar variations when crossed to other colors. This layer is dominant over all colors and will physically effect coloration.
True green genes should produce green fry
True steel blue genes should produce steel blue fry
True royal blue genes should produce a combination of royal blue, green and steel blue.
Though most have mixed genetic codes, nevertheless mixing irid colors should produce these three colors. A “stray” due to mixed genes might be a dark blackish/brownish body with a tint of blue or green on the body or fins.
* Irid colors x cherry red = mostly irid colored body with red fins (both full or partial), irid colors and cherry red (both with or without irid markings on the body).
* Irid colors x black = irid colors, black, and black with irid colors through out the body and fins – traditional/wild colors
- Irid x black + some red = same as above plus multis with red fins.
* Irid colors x Cambodian = irid with red fins, red cambodian (with or without irid layer), cambodian like colors with irid fins, celophane/whitish with irid layer on it, irid colors (often softer shade), pastel.
........................................................
Purple
BY purple I mean a true purple, not a blue, salamander/lavender, copper or any other color with a purple-ish shade.
Marcus Gutzeit : pinkish male from a multicolor line x red female = bubblegum/light purple.
Victoria Parnell : A purple-ish shade of royal blue male from a BF line x blue-red female from a black-red and steel (melano geno) cross = violet blue
Local breeders in my area has produced multi purples from a salamander line. The color has yet to be perfected and doesn’t breed true.
.......................................................
Black layer (cambodian, Blond, and Melano)
Scientifically speaking, this layer carries at least one of three main color genes; ie. Cambodian, blond, and melano which are said to be recessive (Chris Yew, Basic color genetics of betta, bettysplenden.com). Most recessive is the blond, followed by cambodian and then black (Jim Sonnier + experience). Unlike irid colors, mix breeding this color layer with other colors will produce contrasting results.
Cambodian
* Cambodian x irid color = irid-red multi, red cambodian (with or without irid layer), cambodian like colors with irid fins, celophane/whitish with irid layer on it, irid colors (often softer shade), pastel.
* Cambodian x cherry red = cherry red, cambodian, a lighter shade of red or darker shade of cambodian (with and without tints of iridescence – depending on the cmabodian’s background).
*** a combined genetic cambodian may also throw yellow and orange
* Cambodian x bright red = mostly cambodian like colors with more red on the body, a few red, yellow and orange (often rather pale - depends on the background of both)
* Cambodian x black = multi black with red fins. Some may have a rather dominant irid layer on the body, some may show less color (what ever color) which may indicate “blond” effect, cambodian like colors
Blond
I have no experience with blond genes or do not realise having any sinse it’s not physically visible like the cambodian - so I can’t give any examples. Instead I’ve quoted Joep’s explanation to give an idea of what to mix breed to create certain colors related to this gene.
“Blond bettas show a reduced density of black pigment on the body (between cambodian and black). The mutation that is responsible for the blond trait is recessive to the normal black gene. Some colors like pastels, yellows and opaques are associated with the blond gene.But the blond gene can also be found in combination with other colors like black, steel blue and red. Blonde steels will appear silver, blonde blacks will look washed out and pale and blonde reds exhibit a bright Red color, rather than the usual dark "Cherry" Red.”
(Joep van Esch, Color definition & genetics, in bettyplendens.com)
Melano
Scientifically this gene is said to show intense black. But physically, IMO, the regular black looks darker but displays too much iridescence. Sinse most female melanos are infertile, to produce melanos, you have to cross melano males to steel blue females (or other colored females)– the reason many melanos physically have steel blue layer on the body.
* Melano x any color = multi colored (melano geno – F1)
* Inbreed F1 (melano geno) = some melano, melano geno, regular
* Inbreed F2 melano x melano geno = Black melano, melano geno
Black lace (recessive to normal dark colors - Joep van Esch)
Is considered to have less black and always have too much irid layer on body and fin. The end of the fins should fade to a clear or smoke appearance.
* Black lace x irid = Multi - darker shade of irid with or without black/dark fins, irid, if either carry red genes – multi with red fins, traditional colors – black/irid body with red, black or irid fins.
* Black lace x cambodian = multi black, multi irid, cambodian,
* Black lace x red = black body with red fins, multi black (wild color), darker shade of cherry red, regular cherry red (with or without black marking/irid. on the scale’s edges)
.......................................................