When I went to Chatuchak in April 2020, which was quiet due to the coronavirus pandemic, only a few shops were open to feed and care for the fish.
It seems that the Thai government is not so ruthless as to not allow stores that handle living things to take care of them.
In this area, you can get a glimpse of the Thai people who are devout Buddhists.
This street is full of stores that sell betta fish, so there are many familiar faces, so if you see any new fish, you'll be greeted immediately.
At this time, I received a call from one store.

They haven't been here for about 4 months, but the fact that a new variety has been released during that time is probably unique to Thailand, which is the best in the world when it comes to improving betta fish.
At this time, I was introduced to Golden Triple Cross and Guitar Blue, which I had introduced several times before in this column.
However, unlike the Golden Triple Cross, which is almost the size of an adult fish and has good color, Guitar Blue is still smaller in size and has only just begun to show its color.

Therefore, I naturally prioritized purchasing the Golden Triple Cross and introduced it in this column.
However, I didn't forget about Guitar Blue, and every time I went to Chatuchak, I checked to see if I could photograph it.
Although it was lifted in July, a night curfew was also imposed in Thailand in April, and movement beyond prefectures was prohibited.
Normally, I would go out to shoot pictures in the countryside, but that was not possible and I had a lot of free time.
In such a situation, I couldn't wait and decided to purchase a Guitar Blue, a size that I would never normally take photos of.

The Guitar Blue introduced in this photo is about half the size of an adult fish.
As you can see from the photo, the eyes and head are large compared to the body, which does not fully hide the childish nature of the animal.
However, since its characteristic blue body color has already appeared, it looks a bit flying, but I would like to introduce it in this size this time.
Although the elongation of the fins is not yet perfect, the charm of this breed is well understood.
When purchasing, as usual, I asked about the history of this fish's creation.

Rather than hybrids with other species of the same genus, which have recently become popular in Thailand, they have fixed individuals with a strong blue tinge that appeared when breeding normal guitars.
There were about 10 males lined up in the shop, and although there were some differences in coloration, the fixation rate seemed to be high.
Even so, I'm impressed by the fact that this regional variation of the Smaragdina, known as the Guitar, has become extremely sophisticated as a result of being bred by humans.
I once went to Bung Kong Rong Lake in northeastern Thailand, where the original species lives, to collect wild specimens, but the body color and form of wild specimens are no match for breed specimens.
Guitars that are sold as breeds are already completely aquarium strain, and you can say that they are different from wild fish.
The color has also been improved, and Guitar Copper has already been produced.
This has been introduced in this column in the past, so please take a look.

In addition, there are also varieties of guitars with tail fins that extend into a spade shape, and the range of tail fins is extremely wide.
For that reason, it is loved by betta fish enthusiasts, and this is probably what has led to the creation of new varieties.
The Guitar Blue introduced this time was sold as a pair with a female version at the time of its release.

When it comes to new varieties, there are many cases in which females are not released, but I am very impressed with the business' approach of releasing them in pairs from the beginning.
As I have written many times in this column, selling Betta fish in pairs will hardly have a negative impact on business.
On the other hand, breeders who do not produce females should realize as soon as possible that the negative effects of not selling them in pairs are greater.

This is off-topic, but breeding Guitar Blue is no different from normal Smaragdina.
It is very hardy and easy to care for.
They eat everything from regular food to artificial feed for bettas.
Although it is still about half the size of an adult fish, the male is already blowing a bubble nest on the water surface, suggesting that it may be able to breed despite its small size.
As for breeding, it should be similar to normal guitars and Smaragdina.
It is important to breed these improved varieties while preserving individuals with distinct characteristics for the next generation.
We would like you to further refine the beautiful blue shine.