Female beta actually a male??

I month ago I brought two female Siamese fighting fish after loosing the
last one I had to dropsy. I still had a male. One of the females is peach
colored, they other blue. she is slightly larger and has longer fins, but
still much shorter than a males, and she is more aggressive than any female
beta that I have seen before.

last week I went away for a few days and when I returned, sadly the male
beta had been killed. I have left them before and have not had any problems.
I thought that it might be my two new Congo tetras, which I have only left
alone once before since I got them. But three days ago the two remaining
betas spawned. the blue one has been guarding the nest, and today they eggs
have hatched. So I'm now not shore weather the blue female is actually a
male, with short fins if there is such a thing, and that he killed they
other male. It doesn't have any injures, and I have heard of fish carrying
eggs that have already been fertilized before, so I'm not sure. And I need
to know before I get another male. so could she be a male??

thanks
Scott

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 13:09:51 GMT, "Scott" wrote:

I month ago I brought two female Siamese fighting fish after loosing the
last one I had to dropsy. I still had a male. One of the females is peach
colored, they other blue. she is slightly larger and has longer fins, but
still much shorter than a males, and she is more aggressive than any female
beta that I have seen before.

last week I went away for a few days and when I returned, sadly the male
beta had been killed. I have left them before and have not had any problems.
I thought that it might be my two new Congo tetras, which I have only left
alone once before since I got them. But three days ago the two remaining
betas spawned. the blue one has been guarding the nest, and today they eggs
have hatched. So I'm now not shore weather the blue female is actually a
male, with short fins if there is such a thing, and that he killed they
other male. It doesn't have any injures, and I have heard of fish carrying
eggs that have already been fertilized before, so I'm not sure. And I need
to know before I get another male. so could she be a male??

thanks
Scott

Methinks you have a male and a female.

-Derek

yes I think your right, I just found a web page about it which said that
there are males with short fins. I thought he seemed to act more male than
female, his colours and fins seemed more male as well. I'm pretty shore that
it was my plants reaching the surface and creating a nest sight that
triggered the fight.


"Derek W. Benson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 13:09:51 GMT, "Scott" wrote:

I month ago I brought two female Siamese fighting fish after loosing the
last one I had to dropsy. I still had a male. One of the females is peach
colored, they other blue. she is slightly larger and has longer fins, but
still much shorter than a males, and she is more aggressive than any
female
beta that I have seen before.

last week I went away for a few days and when I returned, sadly the male
beta had been killed. I have left them before and have not had any
problems.
I thought that it might be my two new Congo tetras, which I have only left
alone once before since I got them. But three days ago the two remaining
betas spawned. the blue one has been guarding the nest, and today they
eggs
have hatched. So I'm now not shore weather the blue female is actually a
male, with short fins if there is such a thing, and that he killed they
other male. It doesn't have any injures, and I have heard of fish carrying
eggs that have already been fertilized before, so I'm not sure. And I need
to know before I get another male. so could she be a male??

thanks
Scott

Methinks you have a male and a female.

-Derek

Derek W. Benson wrote:
On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 13:09:51 GMT, "Scott" wrote:


I month ago I brought two female Siamese fighting fish after loosing the
last one I had to dropsy. I still had a male. One of the females is peach
colored, they other blue. she is slightly larger and has longer fins, but
still much shorter than a males, and she is more aggressive than any female
beta that I have seen before.

last week I went away for a few days and when I returned, sadly the male
beta had been killed. I have left them before and have not had any problems.
I thought that it might be my two new Congo tetras, which I have only left
alone once before since I got them. But three days ago the two remaining
betas spawned. the blue one has been guarding the nest, and today they eggs
have hatched. So I'm now not shore weather the blue female is actually a
male, with short fins if there is such a thing, and that he killed they
other male. It doesn't have any injures, and I have heard of fish carrying
eggs that have already been fertilized before, so I'm not sure. And I need
to know before I get another male. so could she be a male??

thanks
Scott


Methinks you have a male and a female.

-Derek

I'm with Derek. Short-finned males aren't common but they definately
happen. I'd guess that you will have some short-finned male offspring
in the spawn as well.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

Scott wrote:


So I'm now not shore weather the blue female is actually a
male, with short fins if there is such a thing, and that he killed they
other male.

May be you got a wild type male, the large, colourful fins in the common
male beta were bred into them over many generations. In this case
congratulations -- wild type males are difficult to get.