Betta fish, with their bright colours and exquisite fin patterns, have long amazed aquarium enthusiasts. Among the numerous colourations, black betta fish are notable for their striking and fascinating appearance. These black beauties bring a sense of class to any aquarium. This blog delves into five beautiful types of black betta fish, discussing their distinct qualities, care requirements, and what makes each species unique.
Black betta fish, with their gorgeous and diverse appearances, make a fascinating addition to any Betta fish aquarium. Whether you choose the velvety betta fish, the sparkling Black Copper, or the delicate Black Lace, each has its unique appeal and requires special care to grow. Knowing their particular characteristics and needs will guarantee that these black beauties enjoy a healthy and vigorous life, bringing a touch of beauty to your aquatic environment.
Varieties of Black Betta Fish
In wild-type bettas, black is frequently covered by various colours. The black pigment is distributed throughout the fish, except for the majority of the caudal fins and abdomen. This dispersion has a medium intensity but is not normally visible due to other overlying colour combinations.
There are different kinds of Black Bettas available nowadays.
1. Black Melano
The Melano black betta has an extremely dense, dark appearance. Spawning a melano male with a melanoma-carrying shimmering female (blue, green, or steel) produces 50% black melano and 50% iridescent, both of which contain the melano gene. This is the most common form of black in Bettas. A modified gene in melano betta fish has resulted in significantly increased black pigment density and coverage area.
The mutant gene that generates greater black colour is recessive compared to the normal black gene. This means that if a female betta mated with a regular betta who does not have the mutant black gene, all of the offspring would have been multicoloured. These kids would carry the gene for pigmentation, but it would not be visible in their colouration.
2. Black Lace
The ‘Black Lace’ betta is a dark-coloured fish that is rarely as intense as the melano black. Most Black Lace fish have too much shimmering effect in their bodies and fins to compete in the Black class, thus they are consigned to the Dark Bicolor. The tips of the fins of Black Lace fish must be clear or cellophane in colour, giving them the ‘lacy’ appearance that earned them their name.
Fertile black is recessive to regular dark hue, as is melano; but, unlike melano, Black Lace females are fertile. Crossing Black Lace and Melano does not produce 100% blacks in the first few generations because the genes governing the black appearance of these breeds are on different sets of genes.
3. Super Black Betta
Super black betta is an individual type among the darkest fish species because it lacks scales on its body, resulting in a deeper colour than other types. Described as a colour that is more difficult to breed than other black varieties. Breeders will be aware that Super Black will be red and blue and may be mixed with fins, necessitating a more stringent selection of fish in subsequent breedings than other forms of blackfish.
However, if you are successful, the Super Black colour category will have a benefit in the contest points over other sorts of black as well. Since it’s completely black there are no scales or other colors blended in. That explains why the colour Super Black is priced higher than other colours, as the competition is interested in the colour.
4. The black Samurai
The black Samurai betta fish has the same colouration as the common short-fin samurai. However, a longer tail is more appealing. The black is deeper, and the body has glossy white samurai-style scales. A helmet on the head indicates a high-quality samurai betta fish.
The long-tailed samurai betta has a very deep black colour and glossy scales. It is observed that the long-tailed samurai remains an unusual colour in the general market, which exclusively has short tails.
5. Copper Based Black
Copper-Based Black Bettas are a remarkable blend of black and metallic copper hues. The black base hue is interlaced with shimmering copper scales, giving them a distinct, almost metallic appearance. Common fin types include Halfmoon, crown tail, and plakat.
At least 5 gallons, with plenty of hiding nooks and decorations to resemble their natural environment. Maintain a temperature of 76-82°F, a pH of 6.5 to 7.5, and soft to moderately hard water. High-quality betta pellets, as well as live and frozen foods, help keep their colours brilliant.
Conclusion
Black betta fish, with their gorgeous and diverse appearances, make an intriguing addition to any aquarium. Whether you choose the velvety Black Melano, the sparkling Black Copper, or the delicate Black Lace, each has its unique appeal and requires special care to grow. Understanding their particular characteristics and needs will guarantee that these black beauties enjoy a healthy and vigorous life, bringing a touch of beauty to your aquatic environment.
