Topline?

[BettaObsessed]

I keep seeing references to the fish's topline in regards to determining sex and also irregularity. I am looking at pics of my fish and trying to find differences in what I assume is the topline (the body shape at the top of the fish?) and all of mine seem pretty much the same to my untrained eye. I notice some have a dip between the dorsal and the caudal, some have a relatively even curve from mouth to caudal where others seem to have a steeper incline between the mouth and dorsal then evening off more towards the caudal. Is this what I should be looking at?

Can someone please explain the differences or even show some pics of what I should be looking for? I have a female that I am not sure about and would like to try to figure it out for myself before I post on here asking for opinions

Thanks

[Yanagi]

I think it depends on the type of fish you're looking at. I think it's more obvious with plakats, but I like to see a much more defined curve to the top line where as I like my females to have a more gradual slope down to the head.

Actually I just went looking for example pics and found it to be true with my LF's as well. examples:

Female - Male

Male - Female, 3 month old fry

Older photo of the male, can't find the cable to upload a recent pic of the female.

Two different sibling 'pairs'.

I'd think of it as males should have a nice 'hill' and females a just a slope. Of course this just what I see as ideal, I am not sure what the IBC standards dictate it should look like. The marbled out male was my idea of an almost perfect plakat and I loved that topline of his.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Yan

[BettaObsessed]

Thanks Yan, that's very helpful! I will go back through my photo and have a look at the one in question.

[melbournebetta]

Superb Bettas have some great 3D Models to help you 'see' what makes for good form

[click here]

[melbournebetta]

Betta -O

If you're feeling resilient, you could put the photo of the fish in the critique threads..

[BettaObsessed]

I have that page in my favourites at home, it was how I identified at first what kind of tail my females were (kind of). Seeing the slightly different shape of the ventrals was helpful and I still refer to it occassionally.

As for putting them in the critique threads, I'm not sure you'd all have enough time to pick up all the faults They're only LFS buys and I don't expect them to have perfect form. I figure if I can see the faults in them then there are probably plenty more that I can't see I usually don't see the faults until after I have got them home, photographed them and sit studying them on my computer. I might have to start scouring AB for some better quality females to breed with my better males.

[melbournebetta]

Betta-O

I find I have to do a bloody macro photoshoot before I can tell if I really like my fish!

Aquabid is danger to the hip pocket, but soo sooooo gooood.

-Ness

[BettaObsessed]

LOL Picturing Ness with telephoto ultra-zoom lens taking extreme close up shots of fish to check for faults. Sorry, my strange sense of humour coming out.

But if I put one up for critique I'd have to do them all and that could take a very long time. There are far too many of them. 17 males and 9 females (Oops! Where did they all come from???) Will pick a few favs and put them up for educational purposes. It seems like a good way to learn what is good and what is not.

[melbournebetta]

That image you had of me crouched down in front of the tanks - is exact!

Woah - you have quite the collection!

You know what we're like - Photoshooootttt!

-Ness

[BettaObsessed]

HAHA See, Obsessed And that total doesn't include offspring or the Lavender BF HM pair I have on order with the LFS. OK, Photoshoot. Most of them are around in threads on her somewhere but I'll start a new one. You'll have to comment in between so I can get them all up tho. I'm feeling very much the victim of peer pressure here LOL