Last time I introduced Plakat, so this time I will introduce Halfmoon, which is currently the most popular betta fish.
This Half Moon is extremely popular in Japan, but in Thailand, the home of Betta fish, it is overwhelmingly inferior to Plakat in terms of popularity.
The reason for the difference in popularity is that Plakat is a genuine Thai variety that has been popular in Thailand for a long time, while Halfmoon is a variety that was improved in Europe and America and then returned to Thailand. It seems so. Walking around Bangkok's Sunday Market, where there are many shops specializing in betta fish, there are overwhelmingly many shops that sell pla-cuts, and there are still very few shops that specialize in half-moon fish.

With the skills of Thai betta breeders, it seems like it would be a piece of cake to transfer the color of a new Plakat breed to Half Moon. However, when it comes to colors, Plakat is always ahead of the curve, but Half Moon currently lacks a variety of colors. This is where you can see the difference in enthusiasm between Plakat breeders and Half Moon breeders.
However, it seems that the Half Moon breeders understand that it is not possible to do business with all the fish of the same color, and they have been gradually increasing the number of fish that have the same color. We are starting to see half moons with this color.

This time, we would like to introduce Half Moon, which has a dark color scheme based on black with dragon-like and metal-like silver and white added to it.

Although these varieties give a subdued impression compared to the flashy varieties that wear primary colors such as red and blue, they have a very mysterious charm and are popular among enthusiasts. Japanese people in particular tend to like black and white varieties, even if they are improved varieties. For such enthusiasts, it can be said that it is a cultivar that can be used as a key point. However, since the appeal of this is somewhat difficult for ordinary people to understand, it is best not to ask for consent. By the way, the most popular half moon color is called lavender, which is a pinkish red color with a white border. It's true that the colors are cute and are popular with everyone, but maniacs with curly edges tend to ignore these colors and just chase after fish with plain colors. I am one of those people.

This time, due to the timing, I was unable to obtain an adult fish with a significantly elongated fin, so I used a slightly younger fish as a model. This isn't an excuse, but if you're going to keep Halfmoons, I personally recommend these young fish as they can be enjoyed for a longer period of time than fully grown adult fish that will just decline. Compared to older fish, the flaring is more vibrant and pleasant to look at.

As for betta fish, new varieties are being created every day, and the storefronts of betta fish specialty stores are crowded with customers. I would like to regularly introduce new varieties in this column.