91st Alien Gold “XNUMX”

Alien Gold fighting between males. This individual has a particularly noticeable spot pattern on its tail fin, which is unique to aliens. There is also a faint spot pattern on its anal fin, and anyone who sees it can definitely call it an alien.

In this column, Alien Gold has been introduced twice, in Part 69 and Part 77.
At the time, I was satisfied with writing this as an introduction to a new species, but somewhere in my head I couldn't get rid of the question of whether it was really okay to call it an alien.
In December 2022, after I had almost finished my research in Thailand and before returning home, I visited Chatuchak's close friend Beta-ya, and he told me that Alien Gold was scheduled to be released in January 2023. I received a prototype male as a gift.
I'm sure the idea was that if I gave it to him, he would get a good photo shoot, and that it would be a good promotion, but I was grateful for it as it was proof that we had built a relationship of trust.
The individual had a phenotype quite similar to the Alien Gold I saw at the same store a few years ago.

A male Alien Gold specimen that was separated for photography as a prototype at the end of 2022. His head and fins are dyed blue, and each fin still has a red tint. Although it does not have the spot pattern on the tail fin that is unique to aliens, if we selectively select it, we should be able to create individuals with spots in this color.

An individual whose head, fins, and scales are dyed green. A slight black pigment can also be seen on the scales on the front half of the body. There are some dark spots left on the tail fin that are worrisome, but improvements will likely be made to remove these spots.

The Alien Gold that I first saw at the store a few years ago was only a single male specimen that had appeared through a mutation, and it was also quite expensive. On top of that, there was a missing part of the tail fin, so I didn't think it would be usable as a model for photography, so I remember giving up on it. As I said, Alien Gold is a special fish for me, but although I am not being honest for the third time, this time it is a fish that I can confidently introduce as Alien Gold.

A male individual whose cheeks, fins, and scales are dyed blue. This kind of blue face is reminiscent of the movie Avatar, so it seems that it is sold under the name Alien Avatar along with the green specimen.

In February 2023, after seeing the news about large amounts of cedar pollen being scattered, he immediately fled Japan and took refuge in Thailand.
I was already suffering from hay fever symptoms, but when I came to Thailand, where there is no cedar pollen, I felt so much better! ! She immediately went to Chatuchak to see if Alien Gold had already been released in pairs.
The words I heard at the end of 2022 were not a lie, and there was a pair of Alien Gold in the shop. He had already bought it and was eager to photograph it, but he was told not to do so because the one currently in the store was too low to be used as a model.
According to the shop owner, some of them have a spot pattern unique to aliens on their tail fins, so he will bring them in next week. When I heard that, I agreed and left because it would be better to take pictures of them.

The head, fins, and sides of the body are all colored blue and green, making this an individual that you would want to call gold. There are faint markings on the dorsal and anal fins. The same is true for individuals of other colors, but the unique feature of aliens is that their pelvic fins do not grow as long as other bettas.

The next week, I went back for fun and looked at the tank, and I saw that the fish had the distinctive alien spot pattern on its tail fin and other fins.
With its slim body shape and pelvic fins that don't extend very much, this is a fish that can truly be called an alien. Looking at the male specimens lined up in shops, it appears that there is still considerable variation in phenotype, and they can be divided into at least four types.
Among them, the type with blue or green heads is what the shop owner calls alien avatars.
It's probably an avatar because its face is blue, but it's a pretty easy name.
The name "Avatar" has been used for plastic cuts in Betta for several years, so there is a possibility of confusion, so I personally do not recommend it.
If there are different types, all types must be introduced when introducing a new species.

This male individual seems to be the closest to the complete form of Alien Gold in my opinion. The tail fin clearly has the distinctive alien spot pattern, and there are also slight traces on the anal fin. Individuals called avatars with remaining blue or green colors are also beautiful, but individuals like this are best suited to be called gold.

I purchased four males with different colors and asked them to put the same type on the females, but they said they couldn't tell them apart because the females were almost all the same gold color.
Apparently, when the original Alien is bred, blue and green colors appear from the litter, so this Alien Gold may be the same.
This Alien Gold is not as strong a color as the original, but it has an atmosphere that would be acceptable to wild enthusiasts.
There are dark spots on the tail fin, and the unique Alien spot pattern varies depending on the individual, so it can be said that this breed still needs to be refined.
It is also a fish that has the potential to transform into something completely new in a few years. It seems that the breeder is also mass producing it, so this Alien Gold will soon be available in Japan.

Males of Alien Gold can be divided into several color types, but females are difficult to distinguish because their colors do not differ as much as males. The scales on the sides of the body have some faint color, so depending on the condition, it may be possible to confirm the type.

However, no one would have thought that a variety created from a hybrid of Mahachaiensis, Smaragdina Guitar, and Styctus would evolve to this extent.
In Thailand, Alien has become well-acquainted with the betta fish market and has established itself as one of the betta breeds.
You can see the differences between individuals, not only in body shape but also in the pattern of spots on each fin, so I would like to introduce them in this column again if I have a chance.

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