How can I tell if my short fin Betta Fish is a male or Female?

Question

I know male betta fish usually has long flowing fins. But I also heard that some male betta fish can have short fins. Is there anyway I can tell by looking at my short fin betta fish, if it is a male?

Answer 1

Typically, male bettas have the brilliant colors, while the female bettas are muted/faded colors.

Answer 2

Look on the bottom of the betta. Usually, females have a small bump near the front of the fish.

Answer 3

Put it in a bowl with another male.  Red in the water means male.  More betta fish means female.

Answer 4

Male Bettas are the more colorful of the sexes, and have the long flowing fins everyone identifies with Bettas. Females have short fins, and are their colors are more drab, although some are quite colorful.

The fish that you see for sale in most shops are all males. They are kept in individual containers, because males will fight with each other. Females can be kept together, however they are not commonly seen for sale in the industry.  

Answer 5

The type of male betta with short fins is a Plakat. Their bodies are more robust and larger than a typical female's. As has been mentioned, males tend to have much more vibrant colors than females. Male Plakats look like this: http://i34.tinypic.com/2n9hwfo.jpg

Note how the tail fin is a rounded semi-circle. Female bettas tend to be more streamlined in appearance as well.

A female betta will have a small, white spot on her belly, which is called an ovipositor (egg spot). This is where she releases eggs from. It's fairly rare for a male to have one. Showing them a mirror doesn't mean anything - many females are aggressive and territorial enough to flare and to fight with other females (in fact, fighting among females is natural behavior because they form hierarchies). Please do not put your fish with any other bettas, all you'll accomplish is harming them.

Answer 6

WIthout anoher betta, it would be difficult to tell. Try holding a mirror to it until it sees itself.  If it is male it will puff up and flare and become aggressive.

Go to a petstore and ask to see male and female betta fish and talk to them about the differences.

A female betta has considerably short fins and are not very colorful and not nearly as aggressive.

Answer 7

How about trying this method. If they are not fighting, it's likely a female.  

Answer 8

google image female and male!

the guy above is funny.... red in water ah aha.......

all males have long fins, since they need it hold on to the eggs for the female.

there is no such thing as a short fin male, unless it got into a fight and lose it all.

females body size is typically smaller.... http://www.animalport.com/img/Betta%20Sp...

while male is bigger....

http://www.bettafish.name/Betta_Fish.jpg