This time, I'd like to introduce some plastic cut fish with colors perfect for summer that I found at the Sunday market in Bangkok, Thailand, the home of betta fish.
Before that, first of all, what is plastic cut? For beginners, let's start with a rough explanation of Betta breeds. The fish commonly called betta is an improved variety of Betta splendens.
The original species of Betta splendens also lives in Thailand, but due to habitat destruction due to development and hybridization with improved varieties, it is now difficult to see them. I plan to introduce this original species in this column in the future.
The Betta that is commonly found in Japanese shops is an improved variety that is sometimes called the Traditional Betta, and has long, elegant fins. It is a popular species that is reasonably priced and sold at any tropical fish shop.
Recently, a variety called the Half Moon, which has a beautiful fin that has been further improved and widened, has become very popular. This is because the shape of the tail fin when spread out resembles a half moon. Fish whose tail fins do not spread this far are called superdelta and are distinguished from each other. Contests are often held in Europe and America to see how beautiful the half moon is. This contest is called a show, and the term show quality beta is omitted, and it is sometimes called show beta.

Improved varieties with elongated soft rays on each fin that resemble the teeth of a comb are called combtail bettas or crowntail bettas. This name comes from the fact that the tail fins of good specimens spread out in a crown-like shape. Since it is mainly farmed in Indonesia, it is a reasonably priced variety.
Plakat is called "chewing (cut) fish" in Thai and has been used as a fighting fish. This breed does not have elongated fins like other improved breeds, but it is characterized by a larger body and a sturdier head than the original breed. It has a very different body shape from the slim-bodied original species.
This plastic cut was originally used for fighting fish, and as a result of establishing a strong bloodline, a variety of colors came to be established. Over time, they began to be improved not for fighting fish but purely for ornamental purposes, and these improvements are still active today.
In Thailand, this plastic cut is the most popular betta, and it is also popular among enthusiasts. You can understand its popularity from the fact that this plastic cut is the most sold at Beta Shop in Bangkok's Sunday Market. Betta breeders also seem to be putting all their efforts into improving this fish, and fish with new colors are always buzzing on the market, like new models of clothing. The momentum of this improvement cannot be seen in other improved Betta varieties, so you can see how much effort the Thai people are putting into this Plakat.

I have been a fan of this fish ever since I bred my first fighting fish when I was a university student. I have been watching this fish for about 30 years, and it seems that its improvement has not stopped, but has accelerated. Every time I visit Thailand, I walk through the betta shops at the Sunday market, and whenever I find a new color, I buy it and take a picture.
The white blue marble plastic cut introduced in the photo this time is an improved variety that has recently appeared, and has a beautiful, very cool color pattern. It looks like a summer dress and is perfect for summer. There is such a wide variety of marble-patterned fish that no two fish have the same pattern, so it is very difficult to choose one. This time, I would like you to take a look at the individuals that I carefully selected even though I was hesitant.

As beautiful as this plastic cut is, I often hear that it is losing out in popularity to Half Moon. It has a rich color pattern that is hard to compete with, and it is also strong enough that even slight deterioration in water quality will not damage its fins. If you have never bred one before, please give it a try and enjoy its charm.