[Cluster]

Hey guys- I’m new here, and I need some help!
This is JoJi, they are a Koi Betta- I believe they are a plakat, but I’m not certain- what I’m really trying to figure out is if they are male or female

They were listed as male when I bought them, but I started to question that when I brought them home, right now they share a split 10 gallon aquarium with my Dragon Scale Male Caesar, and though I was initially worried they would stress each other out seeing each other through the holes in the divider, the opposite happened? Caesar started making bubble nests like crazy, and every time they spotted each other, Caesar would start showing off, and JoJi would dip submissively. I started to think that JoJi was mislabeled as Male, but I really can’t be sure! I’m new to the hobby, and I’ve had these guys for about seven or eight months in their current set up, (though I do have plans to eventually give them each their own 10 gallon set up) and I really just want to figure out if JoJi is male of female

When they interact with Caesar, they act very female, but when I gave them a mirror today, JoJi got extremely aggressive. They flared for the first time, and charged the mirror, which I quickly pulled out.

I’ve tried to tell from their body, they have a very feminine head shape, and body shape, but on one side they appear to have a beard, while on the other they don’t? They have one long and one short ventral fin, and since they have short body fins, I can’t tell from that.

I love my bettas very much, and I don’t really care if JoJi is male or female- I just want some help figuring it out! I want to say they are female, but I’m far from an expert, so any help is greatly appreciated <3

Anyway, I’m happy to be here! This forum has helped me a lot in the past so I’m glad I’ve finally made an account!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Welcome to the Forum!

Definitely male.

 

[Rana]

They appear to be male to me! The fins are short, yes, but the ventrals in particular are much longer and fuller than you would typically see on a female, and they do appear to have a "beard" membrane in the picture of them flaring.

Behavior is not something I would consider in much seriousness, since every betta is an individual and there are many factors at work when they interact. But I'd like to point out that bubble-nesting is not always courtship behavior, it is also a territorial display- and plenty of times, it's simply instinct with no "intent" behind it. Likewise, some bettas will show more or less "dominant"/"submissive" behaviors in a confrontation for a variety of reasons, regardless of their sex.

While I feel pretty confident calling your betta a male based on the photos provided, in general I prefer not to rely on secondary characteristics (like fin length/shape) and will always suggest people look for ovaries in their betta's body to determine sex. If you shine a light from the other side of your betta you will be able to see the shadows of their organs. In a female, there is a large triangular shadow in the lower half of their body which extends past the round shape of their main organs, towards the tail. This triangle is where their ovaries are. A male will not have this triangular shape, simply a round shadow in the stomach area.

I'll attach some examples to show what I am talking about.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Welcome back, Rana!!!