Plakat

Plakat betta is a short-finned domestic form of Betta splendens, with a name derived from Thai terms for fighting fish. Its fins are closer to the wild-type length than the flowing fins of veil, delta, or halfmoon bettas, giving the fish a compact, athletic outline. Plakats come in nearly every color and pattern, from wild-type iridescence to koi, copper, dragon scale, and marble. Tail standards vary by community, with traditional plakats, show plakats, and halfmoon plakats judged by different outlines and caudal spread.

The shorter fins make plakats strong swimmers and less encumbered by drag, though they still need warm, stable water and gentle filtration. They are quick jumpers, so a covered aquarium is important. Male plakats can be mistaken for females by new keepers because the fins are not long, but their territorial behavior is still typical of male bettas. Breeders look for balanced finnage, clean edges, strong topline, and good movement rather than length alone. In pet tanks, their activity level makes enrichment and resting spots worthwhile.

Colors: Alien, Bi-Color, Bicolor, Black, Blue, Butterfly, Cambodian, Cellophane, Copper, Crowntail, Delta, Double Tail, Dragon Scale, Dumbo, Elephant Ear, Galaxy, Galaxy Koi, Grizzle, Grizzled, Halfmoon, Koi, Marble, Masked, Metallic, Multi-Color, Multicolor, Mustard Gas, Nemo, Orange, Plakat, Red, Rosetail, Salamander, Samurai, Solid, Steel Blue, Super Delta, Turquoise, Veiltail, White, Wild Type, Yellow