I had a pair of metallic green hm pairs. They both sibling and they both carried melano as what I can see from their babies.
Here is a question. Do you think the baby female that look like melano will be fertile? ^_^

I am n00b at betta genetics, but just from the basic genetics I know...

If both the parents have recessive melano gene, and some of the babies show melano phenotypically, the babies should be genotypically homozygous melano, right?

But at the same time, I heard that it is possible to have fertile melano females if you outcross (not sure if that is the right word?) enough. Because outcrossing (?) decreases the pigmentation density in eggs, so more chance of eggs actually hatching?

So... My conclusion is: you won't know until you try. :chair :chair :chair :OO :OO :OO

LOL I have the female. I am just lazy to do the experiment. I think she might be fertile. :D

If she is true melano she is not fertile. If she's just got one melano gene she will be fertile. If you cross the two fish then 25% will be melano and the females from that group will be infertile.50% will carry melano the other 25% will not even carry melano.



RC

I see. So she is unfertile then. ^_^ She is a melano that is from the green mask metallic parent who are both sibling. :)

wow so do I get to have the other infertile female then Yeevs? I would take her

You need a fertile female now. I think you want to breed your yellow male. ^_^

nah that is o.k. I will take the infertile female instead. I really don't have the room to breed after I got to thinking about it.

You always changing your mind bettaqueen. Everyday different. Remember? ^_^

no I will take the infertile female. not changing my mind

V> Parnell at BettySplendens said in her experience, the more irrids a emle has, the more liekly she was to be fertile.
And actually, fertile and infertile are inaccurate. They ARE fertile, but the eggs don't develop properly, and they die before they hatch.

so The malano Yeevs gave me would breed the eggs just would not hatch. Is that it? Yeevs I think she has a tummy full of eggs right now. I even see her oviposter now and could not see it before. Her tummy is the fattest I have seen it since you gave her to me.

Right.
Those females breed, the eggs just don't hatch, and on the rare occasion they do, the fry are very week, and soon die.
If you are worried about your girl, you can fast her for a couple days.. Usually if am eggy female isn't bred, she'll reabsorb, or drop the eggs, but they are known to besome eggbound.
Weird idea of the day.. using a melano female to give males breeding experience, lol.

I was thinking of doing that just so she could drop her eggs and he could get expereince. I put her in with him when I first got them and he tore up her fins. She is fully grown out fins wise now and looking beautiful. I don't think I want to risk her getting her fins tore up again for nothing.

I can understand that..
Most of the time I put a pair together, one or both get their fins tore up for nothing.

Thanks for making that more clear Belle, I was about to. Plus, as RC was stating, she can be phenotypically Melano and not carry two Melano genes and still be able to have normal fry.