Fantail

A Fantail, is a rounded Delta tail. It looks like a fan with rounded edges (unlike the delta which has sharp edges). It is much wider at the ends than it is at the base, resulting in a tail that spreads out open beautifully. If you divide the tail horizontally with an imaginary line, you will have 2 symmetrical parts. Again, there is roundness of the edges. The tail angle may be wider or narrower, depending on the quality of the line.
Fantail

Combtail & Halfsun

The Combtail is a cross of a Crowntail and another tail type. With selected breeding a Combtail can be bred into a Crowntail, but may still carry a dominant gene such as the Veil Tail. They often have the typical droop of the Veil tail but combined with some extended rays on all fins to varying degrees.
Combtail


The Halfsun has come about from selective breeding of the Crowntail and Halfmoon, to create the spread of a Halfmoon with the slight crowning of a Crowntail. This is extremely hard to breed, and specimens may not show full crowning.A combtail betta with a 180 degrees tail span.
Halfsun

Crowntail

The Crowntail has become a hugely popular tail type variation. It is unlike any other in the sense that the rays are extended to varying degrees on all fins giving the fish a "spiky" appearance. In show standards, for a fish to be classed as a Crowntail there has to a minimum of 33% reduction in webbing. The reduction on the webbing on Crowntail bettas also varies vastly, sometimes it can be quite full, some times dramatically reduced so only the rays are left. There are three recognised types of crowntail: the double ray, the single ray and the crossed ray. Crossed rays are the most desirable and the most expensive to purchase. There have also been lesser known variations such as the triple ray, even the quadruple ray! Crowntails can have their tails in a full 180 degree spread, or less than a 180 degree spread depending on their breeding. Crowntails are prone to fin curling, especially those with little webbing, if their water is not kept immaculate. Breeders are known to "sun bathe" their Bettas for an hour or so in order to keep their rays straight. It has been found also that when breeding, Crowntails have a heightened amount of aggression compared to other tail types, which can make it challenging to get a successful spawn. Petstores often supply inexpensive Crowntails, who's fins are closer together and not as "crownlike".

Crowntail

Crowntail

Doubletail

The Double Tail can be seen combined with Plakat, Halfmoon, and even Crowntails. It is a genetic trait that causes the caudal fin to grow into two lobes rather than one. The genes that cause this also cause the body to be shorter and the dorsal and anal fins to be very broad. As the body is effectively stunted in length, Double Tails are more prone to swimbladder problems and this also affects fry survival rates.

Doubletail Plakat                  Doubletail Halfmoon

Rosetail & Feathertail

Rosetail and Feathertail is an extreme Halfmoon with excessive branching of the rays giving the tail a "ruffled" edge. It has so much finnage that it overlaps like a rose. These fish are hard to breed on as the excessive mutations that cause the branching can lead to other mutations such as poor scales and short ventral fins. Can be seen in longfin and shortfin.

rosetail                                                  feathertail
feathertail

rosetail

Halfmoon Tail Betta

The Half Moon is a very desirable tail type. It is characterised by having the full 180 degree spread when flared, forming a "D" shape with straight edging. Dorsal and anal fins are also dramatically larger than those on other fin types. HMs are prone to tail-biting and fin damage, their tails are large and unnatural and HMs often feel hampered down by their fins. This also means they're one of the hardest tail types to breed as the males find it hard to successfully wrap the females.

Spade Tails

The Spade Tail has an equal spread on either side of the fin, similar to a Round Tail, but with tail finishing in a  point rather than a rounded edge. The bottom fins are straighter and pointier. Caudal has a wide base that narrows to a delicate point

Round Tails

The Round Tail can be compared to a Plakat with a large tail, and mistaken for a Delta. The fin shape is round, rather than the straight edges of a Delta, but fuller and longer than that of a Plakat. This can also be referred to as a "Single Tail".

Super Delta Tails

Super Deltas are very similar to Halfmoons but have less than a 180 spread when flared. They are nearly a Halfmoon but not quite. Super Deltas are differentiated from Veil Tail by the fact that if you drew a line from the nose to the tip of the caudal fin on a Super Delta there would be an equal amount of fin on either side of the line, whereas on a Veil Tail there would be little tail at the top, and the majority below.

Delta Tails

Deltas Tails are very similar to Halfmoons but have less than a 180 spread when flared. Deltas are far less than an Halfmoon. Deltas are differentiated from Veil Tail by the fact that if you drew a line from the nose to the tip of the caudal fin on a Delta there would be an equal amount of fin on either side of the line, whereas on a Veil Tail there would be little tail at the top, and the majority below. The Delta tail has a triangular-shaped caudal fin.

Veil Tails

The most common type of tail type you will ever come across in pet stores is the Veil Tail. This type of tail is long, with a long anal and dorsal fin also, and droops down from the caudal peduncle. In breeding, a veil is dominant over other tail types and is therefore undesirable when breeding show Bettas. The term "veil tail" is often abbreviated to "VT".
male