There is a question that has been bothering me since the time when Koi betta was bred.
It is the order of release of new varieties to the market.
When carp betta was gaining popularity, the first fish to appear on the market were, of course, the shortfin plastic cut type fish.
Although it seems to be less popular in the Japanese market, Plakat is by far the most popular type of betta among betta enthusiasts in Thailand. Therefore, most new varieties are of the plastic cut type.

Even during Koi Beta, pla-cuts first took over the market, and I guess people got a little tired of them. Around this time, Koibeta Halfmoon, a derivative of the species, appeared on the market.
In this way, Thai breeders also seem to be carefully monitoring market trends and considering the fish they produce. However, the proportion of Half Moon in the Thai market is not that large.
If anything, it seems more like it was used for export to other countries than for the domestic Thai market. Thai breeders must be well aware that these new varieties will revitalize the market.

Long after the release of the Japanese carp betta Halfmoon on the market, the Japanese carp betta Veiltail was created and began to appear on the market.
Later on, full moon and crowntail carp betta were also released.
At this time, am I in the order of releasing new varieties? ? ? I remember thinking that.
I thought it might be easier to transfer the color of the Koi betta in Half Moon. Veil tails and crown tails are easy to raise and breed, but wouldn't it have been difficult to transfer the color of the carp betta? Is it simply based on market demand and price?
I had been thinking about these things, but without having the opportunity to ask the breeders directly, I had forgotten about this question.

Nemo Betta was bred from Koi Beta around the end of 2017, and has been gaining popularity in the market for the past two years due to its flashy color, but the order in which new derived varieties are released is the same as Koi Beta. It's a flow.
First, the plastic cut was created, then the half moon, then the double tail, and in 2019, the veil tail was released.
In terms of flow, it is the same pattern as the Koi Beta.
Is it really difficult to transfer these characteristic colors to the veil tail?

In fact, the plastic cut has so many color patterns, but the reality is that these colors are not transferred to the veil tail fish. This is completely understandable if you simply don't want to use unnecessary energy for the inexpensive veil tail.
It seems that reality is not so simple.
When I went to Bangkok in the fall of 2019 and was looking at the Thai Betta fish market in places like Chatuchak, I noticed something that really bothered me.

One day, I found a beautiful Nemo betta veil tail fish. It was a perfect fish in terms of color, body shape, and form.
Since I hadn't photographed this breed yet, I wanted one as a model, so I asked the shop owner about the price. When she heard the price returned, she couldn't believe her ears for a moment. The price was nearly 2 yen in Japanese yen. I want one for photography, but it's too expensive. When I thought about it as a job, I gave up on purchasing it because I couldn't get my money back.
However, as far as I know, this is the first time I've seen such an expensive betta. Will anyone buy it in Thailand? A question arose in my mind, and I watched the store from the shadows for a while.

As expected, the new variety Nemo Betta Veil Tail seems to be catching the eye, and many people are curious and asking about the price. However, the moment you heard the price, you were like, “Huh?” With that expression on his face, he left the store without saying a word.
As a Japanese person with a different monetary value, there is no way that a Thai person would think that the price is high. In fact, you can safely assume that prices in Thailand are about 1/3 of those of Japan.
A price of 20,000 yen is way too expensive even in the Japanese market, but to Thai people it feels like 60,000 yen. Seeing this reality made me realize that even in Thailand, people don't think that just because it's a veil tail, it's cheap.

Come to think of it, there are only a few shops in Chatuchak that sell it, but the beautiful veiltail fish seems to be sold at a pretty good price.
Recently, I realized that I haven't photographed many veiltail fish, so I decided that my challenge for 2020 would be to photograph beautiful veiltail fish. I don't have the money to buy a 20,000 yen model, so I used my feet and my eyes to find a more affordable Nemo Betta veil tail.
At the end of 2019, I managed to get a few individuals, brought them back to Japan, and successfully photographed them.

The car I'm introducing in this column isn't a top-of-the-line model that costs 20,000 yen, but I think it's enough to convey its charm. Next year, better specimens will be available at reasonable prices.
In that case, I will introduce it again in this column.