In this column, I tried to provide real-time information about Thailand's nature and the Betta scene.
However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were restrictions on my stay in Thailand, and I returned to Japan at the end of September 2020, feeling reluctant.
I thought that once I returned to Thailand, it would be very difficult to go to Thailand again, but that was actually the case. I had to undergo mandatory quarantine for two weeks, submit a negative proof of coronavirus, have 100,000 US dollars of insurance, and have to pay for the Japanese insurance. Applying for a travel permit at the Thai embassy, ​​etc. has become a tedious process and requires additional expenses.
Even though I forced myself to travel to Thailand, where the coronavirus infection has not yet subsided, there are many movement restrictions that make it difficult for me to work.
These restrictions are likely to be eased by spring 2022, so please refrain from traveling to Thailand until then.
Due to the current situation, I have been unable to provide fresh information, so I have lost the desire to write a column, so I would like to apologize for taking a break for a while.
If you think about it, I have enough material for this column, so I will continue this column with stock photos and information until I can go to Thailand next.

Well, this time I'm going to talk about the Mahachai hybrid that I found in Chatuchak just before returning to Japan in September 2020.
As usual, as I was walking around Chatuchak, commonly known as Beta Street, I heard a call from a shop that specializes in wild food.
Look at this! He removed the partition from the glass container and handed me a flashlight.
Many of the betta shops here are dimly lit and do not use any lighting.
In particular, wild types dislike bright environments, so most stores are non-light.

A flashlight is essential to check for fish in this dimly lit environment, so the owner of the store will always lend you a light.

This is a style where you check out the fish you've caught your eye on by yourself.

The owner showed me a row of fish and explained that they were Mahachai hybrids.
However, no matter how you look at the fish lined up there, they are not the same.
They have different colors and body shapes.
I asked him if these were really the same Mahachai hybrid, and he confidently replied that they were definitely the same.

Unsatisfied, I asked further questions and was told that this Mahachai hybrid is an F1 hybrid of a male Mahachai and a female Inveris.
After hearing this, I finally understood the variation in this phenotype.
At this time, I should have asked about the type of Mahachai and the production area of ​​Inveris, but I forgot to ask about the details beyond that.
I have previously introduced Mahachai hybrids in this column, but the phenotypic differences in this one are also interesting, so I would like to introduce them again.

The Mahachai hybrids this time were roughly divided into five types of phenotypes.
One is an individual that strongly feels the lineage of Inveris, but its body color is silver-blue.
Next is an individual that also strongly represents the Inveris lineage, but with a blue-green body color.
The ones that give a stronger impression of the Mahachai lineage are those whose bodies are dyed blue-purple and those whose bodies are dyed blue-green.
These two types have an atmosphere quite similar to the fish called Mahachai Blue and Mahachai Green.
The last one has a strong lineage of the Mahachai original, and its body shape, coloring, and especially the shape of the tail fin are almost the same as the original.
Regarding the shape of the tail fin, it can be confirmed that the other four types retain the Mahachai lineage, which is slightly elongated in the center, but the last type is also noticeably elongated.
Although the female individuals are not as distinct as the male individuals, some variation can be observed in their phenotypes.
Did you understand that in crosses between wild progenitors, there is such variation in the F1 phenotype?

For the F1 individuals created in this way, if you select females with the same phenotype and mate them, you should be able to fix your favorite phenotype. Alien (introduced in this column under the name Triple Cross), which has already become a popular species in Thailand, has a fairly high fixed rate, and there is little variation even if it is bred.
This is probably the result of the early mating efforts that increased the fixation rate.

If I can go to Thailand in 2022, I can't wait to see how much these bettas have changed.