8 Rare Betta Fish Colors: Traits & Fin Types
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Betta fish are prized for the many colors that they are available in—from brilliant blues and ruby reds, Betta fish do not disappoint when it comes to their coloration. While some Betta fish may have simple patterns and solid colors, there are Betta fish that have a combination of colors that create intricate patterns and colors. Some of these colors are rare.
Most of the rarer Betta fish colors are created by professional breeders who take pride in creating unique Betta fish. If you are looking to add a rare colored Betta to your aquarium, the colors in the Betta discussed in this article are worth considering.
1. Rose Gold
| Traits: | Metallic gold color |
| Fin types: | Half-moon, crown tail, rosetail |
| Available: | Breeders and some pet stores |
The rose gold Betta fish is an uncommon and beautifully colored fish with a metallic gold coloration. Their coloration is usually mixed with white and the color shimmers in the right lighting. The rose gold Betta looks quite fascinating to view in an aquarium, especially when they are kept in tanks with plants and a dark substrate. The darker colors in their tank allow their coloration to stand out more.
While the rose gold Betta fish is often confused for being a yellow Betta fish, their coloration is more amber with a mixture of copper colors. In some cases, the rose gold Betta may have a reddish or orange tinge on the ends of their fins that blends into the rose gold and white colors on their bodies. It is more common for half-moon Betta fish to have the rose gold color, and it is rarer for other types of Bettas to have it.
2. Orange Dalmatian
| Traits: | Orange and gold with spots |
| Fin types: | Halfmoon, plakat, crowntail, veiltail |
| Available: | Breeders and some pet stores |
The orange dalmatian Betta is both rare and uniquely patterned. Orange is seen as an uncommon color for Betta fish to have, which has increased the orange dalmatian Betta fish’s popularity. This variety of Betta will have spots of red on their fins with a predominantly golden and orange body color which makes them rare. They are one of the most challenging Betta colors for breeders to create, especially since they have Dalmatian patterning too.
Some orange Dalmatian Bettas may have a darker appearance than others, with either a darker gold or lighter white-pink tint. You can find orange dalmatian Betta fish with either half-moon, veil tail, or plakat tail types.
3. Teal Dragon Scale
| Traits: | Teal and dark blue color |
| Fin types: | Rosetail, half-moon, giant, plakat |
| Available: | Breeders and pet stores |
One of the darker and more spectacular-looking Betta fish colors is the teal dragon scale Betta fish. This morph and color are rare and highly sought out by Betta fish hobbyists. The teal dragon-scale Betta fish has a teal, dark blue, white, and black coloration.
Since this Betta fish has the dragon scale morph, they will have thick white scales covering their bodies, but in the case of the teal dragon scale Betta, these thick scales look more teal in good lighting. Although blue isn’t a rare color in Betta fish, the combination of different blues on the blue dragon scale Betta makes them an uncommon fish.
4. White Opal or Pearl
| Traits: | White body with pastel iridescence |
| Fin types: | Half-moon, rosetail, veiltail |
| Available: | Breeders and some pet stores |
A beautiful and rare coloring of Betta fish that is highly sought out would be the white opal Betta fish. This describes a white Betta fish with various colors that shimmer under bright lighting. If this Betta fish is kept in dark aquariums without proper lighting, then you won’t be able to see their array of pastel colors. These pastel colors include reds, oranges, and blues, with a hint of purple and pink that makes them incredibly rare and a spectacular sight to see in an aquarium.
5. Melano Black
| Traits: | Pure black color |
| Fin types: | Giant or plakat |
| Available: | Breeders |
While many Betta fish may have black colors on their bodies, finding a pure black Betta fish is rare. These black Bettas do not have as much iridescence on their bodies, which is what separates the Melano Betta from other black Betta fish. Even in bright lighting, the Melano black Betta fish maintains a rich black coloration without any other colors and only a low iridescence of gray or dark blue. As the Melano black Betta fish ages, they may develop a brownish-bronze tint to their fins.
6. Green Alien
| Traits: | Dark or light green scales |
| Fin types: | Plakat or spadetail |
| Availability: | Breeders and pet stores |
Green is a very rare color that can be found on some Betta fish, and the vivid green and teal colors of the green alien Betta are unusual. The term “alien Betta” is described as a new type of hybrid Betta fish that cannot be found in the wild. These Bettas are created by breeding wild-type Bettas with domesticated ones. The green coloration in alien Betta fish is quite interesting, and the green can vary from light to dark with a hint of teal. The green scales are mixed in with black and gray colors, so the green alien Betta fish is not a solid green color.
7. Yellow or Mustard
| Traits: | Yellow colors |
| Fin types: | All |
| Available: | Breeders and pet stores |
It is uncommon to find a vivid yellow coloration in Betta fish, making yellow or mustard colors rare. This yellow can vary from gold to a mustard color depending on the Betta fish and any other colors on its body.
The body can either be predominantly yellow or parts of the Betta fish will have yellow such as on the ends of their fins. One example of a rare and bi-colored Betta fish with yellow fins is the “Mustard Gas” Betta fish. These Bettas have a blue and yellow coloration that looks striking in planted aquariums.
8. Platinum White
| Traits: | Low iridescence white body |
| Fin types: | All |
| Availability: | Breeders |
The opaque white body of the platinum-white Betta fish makes them stand out. Their bodies do not have the light pink coloration of the opal or pearl-colored Betta, and their bodies are entirely white with very little discoloration. Under the right lighting, the platinum-white Betta fish shines and stands out against dark backdrops and black substrates. A platinum white Betta fish will have a low iridescence to their bodies, with no hint of vivid pastel colors like other white Betta fish.
Conclusion
Since rare colored Betta fish are uncommon to find, they generally cost more than the average Betta fish. This is especially true if you get them from a breeder that specializes in specific rare Betta fish colors. Most of the colors we mentioned in this article are so rare that you can only find them in specific types of Bettas with the same fin type, while other colors can be created in Bettas with all of the different fin types.
Featured Image Credit: panpilai paipa, Shutterstock
