No. 52 “Betta fish called NEMO”

A male individual with a typical color called Nemo. It was given this name because its orange-based body color with black and white is reminiscent of a clownfish. However, like the carp betta, there are a wide variety of colors and patterns, and no two fish are alike.

In March 2018, I visited Thailand to escape the annual cedar pollen.
It doesn't mean that the symptoms of hay fever will go away immediately, but within a week, the itchy eyes and stuffy nose that were so painful will disappear.
After all, this period is limited to spending time in foreign countries where there are no cedar trees.
As long as you have an internet connection, you can do work like mine from anywhere.
Now, when you arrive in Thailand, it's customary to immediately go to the Sunday market called Chatuchak to look for fish.
Unlike Japan, which is cold, Bangkok is in the middle of the heat, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in the morning. It can be painful to go see the Betta fish in this heat, but it's strange that the heat feels so good after a long time.
When I go to the area where the usual betta shops are concentrated, everyone greets me. If you've been wandering around this area for over ten years, you'll already know everyone's faces.

It has an impressive blue tail fin, and its body is decorated with red, black, white, blue, and yellow, making it a very colorful individual. I feel that this kind of color suits the name Candy better than Nemo.

If there is an unusual betta, I will be able to hear about it right away, so I am very happy. This time, I immediately found two betta fish that I would like to introduce in this column. One is a betta that seems to be a yellow-orange variety of the Japanese carp betta, which the Thais call Nemo Nemo.

The other type is a wild cross type betta, which I will introduce in the next column.
The betta fish called Nemo probably derives its name from Nemo the clownfish, the main character in the Disney movie Finding Nemo. Betaya's English notation also says NEMO, so there's no doubt about it.
Indeed, this colorful betta fish, which is characterized by its yellow and orange colors, is not dissimilar to the color scheme of the clownfish. However, this name is likely to be the subject of protest from Disney, which is picky about trademarks.

The grade of Nemo changes depending on how well balanced the black and red colors are in the orange-based body. This is a factor that is difficult for breeders to control, which is probably why Nemo is so expensive. Just like Koi betta, no two fish have the same pattern.

Many Nemo fish have shiny pale scales. Individuals with these scales scattered all over their bodies in a well-balanced manner are called galaxies, and are considered to be of even higher grade.

The name Dumbo is also used for the betta fish called Churn, and the name Mickey Mouse is used for the platy, but the ornamental fish industry is considered to be small enough that Disney does not need to interfere. Maybe. This betta fish called Nemo did not suddenly appear this year.
At a betta contest held in Thailand in November 2015, I saw a fish that appeared to be the prototype. At that time, I remember it because it was very attractive.

A male Nemo with irregular red and black colors on the body and fins. No two individuals have the same color pattern on the sides and fins, so finding one you like is a lot of fun. In this individual, the pectoral fins are also colored black.

Nemo's body color is based on skin color, just like the common Koi betta. The body and fins are decorated with various colors, giving it a very flashy impression. In particular, the yellow color is an accent. This individual seems more appropriate to be called Candy than Nemo.

Although the name "Nemo" has not been used since around autumn last year, we have confirmed that a small number of them were being sold at Chatuchak for a high price. Although Koi Beta had almost reached completion, Thai breeders seem to have continued to improve it by adding colors such as yellow, orange, and blue to make it even more colorful. Last year, when I saw Nemo, they had names like 5-color and 7-color, but having a name that everyone can relate to will probably help this fish become popular. Later, I did some research on the internet about this betta, and it seems that in addition to the name Nemo, it is also called Candy. Indeed, I feel that this name matches the colorful body color well. I'd like to wait and see whether the names Nemo or Candy are more popular with the general public.

According to what I heard, Nemo was first created by a breeder living in Rayong. The Japanese carp betta was also the first fish bred by Rayong breeders, and Rayong breeders seem to have a lot of sense.

This is also a Nemo based on skin color. When you look at a fish like this, you can understand that Nemo was created based on the carp betta. The yellow, orange, and red color scheme is attractive. Most male Nemos are also highly combative and often fin-spread.

An attractive individual with black, red, and yellow spots scattered on its flesh-colored body like glasswork. Depending on the color balance, it will become an even higher grade fish. It can be said that it is a color that seems to be liked by Japanese people.

This cute and beautiful Nemo betta has one problem. It is still very expensive. The price is 10 to 30 times that of the average plastic cut.
Even as a Japanese person who works on Nemo as a job, I can't get my hands on high-quality Nemo.
Prices in Thailand are 1/3 to 1/5 of Japan, so this price can be said to be surprising. I feel that Thailand has become much wealthier as well. I didn't think it would move that much at this price, but it seems like the good fish are selling quickly.

I hope that Japan's ornamental fish industry, which is currently in a slump, will be in a situation where such expensive fish can sell like hotcakes. But why is this Nemo so expensive? This is thought to be because even if they breed, the probability of obtaining individuals with this unique coloration is low. However, looking at the usual movements of the Thai betta fish industry, this is probably just a bubble price that is just starting to appear.

Female Nemo is still available for sale in shops, although in small numbers.

After all, the price is as high as the male one.

Color-wise, the pattern is exactly the same as that of the male, with a beautiful orange, red, and yellow color scheme.

One betta breeder said that this behavior is similar to that of a crayfish called the Thai Ghost. At first, everyone was trading at high prices, but the market doubled and prices suddenly plummeted. At one time, ghost crayfish were sold everywhere in Chatuchak, but now they are nowhere to be seen.
The same is true for Nemo, and within six months, it should be priced at an affordable level that even the average person can afford. Actually, looking at the movements over the past half month or so, I wouldn't say it's crashing, but prices have definitely been falling.

In order for the general public to enjoy it, it would be better if the price was a little lower. However, it is difficult because when a market crashes, everyone turns away.
At the moment, it seems that not many of them are being imported because the prices do not match the Japanese market at all. However, as prices drop, this attractive Betta is sure to become popular in the Japanese market as well. It seems that we need some time to enjoy this attractive betta fish in Japan.

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