When I visited Thailand in the fall of 2017, there was another betta fish that caught my attention, in addition to the improved variety of Inveris that I introduced in this column last time. It is the crowntail of the Japanese carp betta.
It has been quite some time since Koi betta was bred. The first half-moon and delta tail koi betta were bred. Following that, veil tail and double tail carp betta have also started to appear on the market.
If you are a betta fanatic, the next thing to consider is the crowntail carp betta.

Regarding this, I have heard that a breeder with whom I am close has been breeding to create one, and I have even been shown a prototype of it.
It may not seem so difficult to add the color of a Japanese carp betta to the form of a crowntail, but it is actually quite difficult.
If it were easy, it would already be sold normally at Sunday markets.
That being said, among betta enthusiasts, the crowntail of the common betta has been a long-awaited fish.

One day, as usual, when I was browsing the betta shops in the Sunday market, I received information from the shopkeeper that only 20 crowntails would be arriving at 9am tomorrow morning.
Of course, I want one for photography, but I'm reluctant to compete with the passionate betta enthusiasts in Thailand for only 20 fish.
When you find the betta you want at a store, the rule in Thailand is first come, first serve.
When a customer finds a desired fish, the customer who shows an intention to purchase it quickly can obtain it.

However, when the first fish arrives like this time, it is special. Store owners give advance information to potential buyers about when the products will be in stock.
When that happens, enthusiasts who want the fish at that time flock to the store to catch the stock.
There, they compete for the best specimens, so it becomes quite a battle.
In situations like this, a strong personality is more likely to win than a discerning person.
Thai maniacs are tired of having their own country's fish taken by foreigners! There may also be feelings of patriotism.
Japanese people, myself included, are too well behaved to be suited to such conflicts.
Since the goods arrive at 9am, you have to be on standby at 8am to participate in the competition.

In order to go to the Sunday market at 8 o'clock, I have to leave the hotel at 7 o'clock. I got up at 6am for that.
This is quite a challenge for me, who is weak in the morning.
After thinking carefully about the competition and time, I decided to give up on getting the fish.
If you think about it, these new faces will initially be released in small numbers, but soon the number of releases will increase and they will become easier to obtain.
In fact, this reading was correct, and after two months, I was able to obtain the crowntail of the common betta without having to participate in an ugly scramble.
However, I found a crowntail of Koi betta at this store not immediately after it arrived, but the next day.

There are about 7 fish in total in stock, and from the looks of it, the good ones have already been taken out.
Of these, there are only about 5 individuals that can somehow be used for photography.
Actually, I wanted to ask about the next arrival date and select it first, but I have to return to Japan in two days.
I don't have much time, so I'm sorry but I have no choice but to compromise. At this time, I purchased the entire inventory for use in photography. I'm sure I'll be able to get a better one next time.
With this, we can introduce the Japanese carp betta crowntail to betta enthusiasts in Japan. That's enough for this time.

So, after two months, I acquired a crowntail of a Japanese carp betta and photographed it.
In addition to money, this kind of effort is also required to obtain a model for a photo shoot.
Now, the quality of the crowntails of Koi betta that I actually obtained varied.
No matter who saw it, there was only one fish that could be called a crowntail.
Others are at a level where it seems that the variety has not yet reached its final form.
The individual with a white body color is clearly a lineage of Koi Beta, but there were also some marble-type fish mixed in that are not suitable to be called Koi Beta.

The color of the body is still a long way off, but each individual has a long way to go in terms of body shape as a crowntail. Since it is still in its infancy as a breed, its color and body shape will likely become more sophisticated. This time, I took a picture of a compromised model to introduce a new variety, but if I have the opportunity again this year, I would like to introduce a more complete model.