How to reconize a betta fighter?

I asked permission from one of the moderator prior posting this topic.
I am not condoning betta fighting but i was just wondering why some betta breeders sell this type of fish so expensive, more than halfmoon or giants betta.
My question is how do they know?
I bought few pairs from a Thai breeder and asked him the same question, he could not gave me a direct answer.
I bought those pairs not for fighting but to breed them. I have close to 1000 fry and they are about 4 months and i sell each male for $5.00, i could sell each for $50 or more like the breeder but i decided not too.
I am thinking sometimes, the thai breeders just want to rip us off.
I can understand that a halfmoon or hmplakat or giant betta can cost $25 or more but not for a betta fighter or also call round tail betta.

I'm not sure myself. I get VTs for 3-4 bucks at the pet store, my RT Delta (beginning to think he'll end up a super Delta, he's young yet) for just under 10 bucks, and found a gorgeous black/clear/platinum HM for 40 bucks (didn't buy him though).

To RECOGNIZE a betta fighter I think is easy. To know of what a good price for them is....I think is up to the person buying them. What is the fish worth to them? Will they fight them, breed them, or just keep them as pets?

I'm happy to hear you've set what I would call a reasonable price.

The fish itself is worth nothing to the people who fight them, what they care about is the money they're going to make by abusing the betta for the entertainment of other sick individuals.

It's a business investment so these people want to know that the fish is the best it can be, just like a thoroughbred racehorse or racing greyhound.

If a breeder is unscrupulous enough to sell to people knowing the betta is being bought for fighting, you can bet they'd also be unscrupulous enough to exaggerate the fish's ancestry or quality and hike up their prices accordingly.

Assuming you are talking about the thai/asian fighting betta circuit (it disgusts 99.99% of the rest of the world who know bettas)

They breed the fish for fighting skills and bulk, hence prices.
Most bettas are bred for shape and finnage or unusual colour, then fish shop exports but those who specialise with fighters will select the most aggresive for their fighting styles and breed them to offpsring from others with diff fighting style to try to have the 'ultimate' fighter.. eg. one medium weight betta who goes for opponents eyes and fast, offspring of another which predominately goes for the gills and heavyweight so slow.

I personally believe its wrong but there's the few who love it and it was a thai tradition for hundreds of years, enough for some to want to built on the sport.

In Uk it would be considered cruelty and poss USA and Australia would have the same view.

In regards to recognising them.. for a start they'll be short finned, usually imbellis or smaragdina looking but bulky... thick bodied like giants but normal sized.

it's so sad

Yeah in the US ANY form of animal fighting for sport is illegal. I'm highly against it too but that doesn't make it any less of a fact that there are breeders out there who breed for fighters, and people who buy them for such.

Im sure there was a topic somewhere on here about the different types of fighting bettas but i cant find it.