The traditional name for short fin betta is probably plakat. In native Thailand they called it Plakad Thai , Siamese fighting fish. In the old days most breeders bred and developed plakat for fighting. Color and beauty is not as important as aggressiveness and fighting capability. Later people bred plakat for beauty and they improved the betta fish finnage and colors through selective breeding program. Today we see many varieties of tail and fin forms in betta. Most people breed short fin plakat for full coloration. Some of the popular colors are green mask , in which the head or face area is almost colored same as the body , and appears like metallic color. Copper , gold or platinum is another form of mask too. Marble has patches of different colors over the body and is usually not true breed , meaning there is no uniformity in color for the whole batch of fish from the same parents. Common colors like full red , blue and opaque are also some of the favorites among hobbyists. Challenge is to breed good body and full color.