Betta attacking female molly?

[Danny.]

My male fighting fish is exhibiting some quite strange behaviour. We got him yesterday and he seems to have settled in, eating food, swimming around.
But earlier it came to my attention that when a certain black female mollie gets close to the fighting fish he displays his gills and takes up his fighting stance.
Is there any reason for this as i am quite puzzled because he doesnt do this with any of the other fish, including the other black female mollie.
Thanks

 

[Vircomore]

This is a biggest problem with keeping bettas with Mollies, Platys, Swords, and Guppies.

Bettas lack the "identification capacity" to distinguish other "sausage-shaped" fish from other bettas. So they think Mollies are bettas.

 

[Danny.]

Thanks for the advice!

Would you suggest moving the betta to another tank and let him live there instead?

 

[Vircomore]

If you can find some stiff plastic mesh or other dividing material, you could make a divider and give the betta his own section of the tank. Otherwise the only surefire way to prevent it would be to give the betta his own tank.