Can a female betta become 'eggbound' and die from it?

Never thought of this until I experienced this today.

I have a white female betta that is the largest female I have ever seen... was very close in size to my Giant male (plakaat?).

I've had her for probably 6 - 9 months, maybe more, and she's always been fine, whether kept in tanks alone, with other females, or in a bowl.

I did water changes for all bowls two days ago using half water from established tanks and half new, conditioned water. Never had a problem.

I smell a funky odor today and go to check, and she looks dead. The bowl is where the smell was coming from.
I take her out and she shook twice, for about a second. I put her back and she didn't move or breathe for several minutes.

When I took her out, I noticed the stunk, even though she wasn't actually dead yet.

Se looked very fat, and I don't know if the bars will develop on a white female, but she did have a reddish dark coloration around her belly area and was very plump.

So after she died, without a doubt, I then took her out and squeezed her belly which released many eggs.
I even thought about putting the eggs in with a male, but since the entire courtship ritual hadn't happened, and they didn't have bubblenests made, it would just be considered a snack.

So I was wondering if she was mature and had to release them and maybe died from being eggbound, if that has ever happened with bettas?

I know with the reptiles I deal with, and some other animals, females can and will die if they are not able to lay their eggs.


Thanks guys!

HHMMMM Good question. PM whisper as she breeds bettas and would probably know the answer. I have 2 fat females now you got me worried,

once you find out, please post it.... I keep male and female bettas off and on and I would love to know too!

i would say yes. most fish could get egg bound just like humans can have messed up pregnancys that can kill them too.
soory for the loss

Of course there is always a possibility of being egg bound but Betta females will many time just release the eggs or they can re absorb into the body. I have had females in a jar by themselves just release the eggs. I would think more that the problem was bloat. And you're right. It would do no good to put eggs in with the male. He would love a tasty treat like eggs. The fact that you cute her open and found eggs would be normal. I would be surprised if there weren't any.