The Blue Lady - Grown Up

Lady Bluebolt was impressive enough when I first brought her home, barely three-quarters of an inch long and turned steel bluey-grey with nervousness. Now, as she matures into a full-grown female, she's only getting more impressive.

Blue's head is velvety black from jaws to behind her gills, as well as a stripe running up her back to the base of her dorsal. Her gills are rimmed in bright silver, with silver curves behind her eyes that make an "eyespot" effect when she flares. Her eyes are blue and tend to hide in the black if you don't know what to look for.

Just behind her gills, her scales turn that glorious blue. The picture doesn't capture the intensity of the color, due to the angle and the light, but she glows a pure royal blue, almost literally glows. Her dorsal is solid blue, while her caudal and anal, and even her ventral, fins are a light yellow, rimmed in a blue that matches her sides.

When I first got her, Blue was as shy as anything. She'd hide in the corners and avoid conflict. She has since found her inner bad girl and is now making a very determined bid for the position of boss female. Blue is even making bubble nests in the back corner of the 10-gal, which I've been told is a sign of dominance. Either that, or she seriously thinks she's a plakat male.

Bubble nest or not, Blue is a female. I checked for the white spot the first time she started nesting, and it is indeed there.

She is an adult female Betta splendens, Siamese fighting fish

Apparently her color pattern is called "blue mustard gas"