Feathertail Betta
Betta splendens
About this strain
The Feathertail takes excessive ray branching even further than the Rosetail, with fins so heavily subdivided and frilled they resemble delicate feathers or lace. The visual effect is ethereal, but the fins are structurally fragile to the point of being almost impractical — even minor water quality lapses can trigger rapid fin deterioration. This variety requires an experienced keeper: pristine, stable water, very gentle filtration, and a near-bare or smooth-only decor setup. Not recommended as a first betta. If you're up for the challenge, a Feathertail in peak condition is one of the most visually unusual fish in the hobby.
Origin
The Feathertail is an extension of the same over-selection process that produced the Rosetail, with extreme ray branching pushed even further. It gained recognition as a distinct form in the 2000s–2010s, largely through Southeast Asian breeders competing in ornamental fish shows.