Medaka Breed Guide | Characteristics and Selection Guide for Popular Varieties | ブリちょく
Medaka| ✍️ BreederDirect Editorial
Medaka Breed Guide | Characteristics and Selection Guide for Popular Varieties
A carefully curated introduction to popular medaka varieties including Yōkihi, Mikyu, Tri-color Lame, Sapphire, and Yozakura. We provide detailed explanations of each variety's characteristics, ease of care, viewing points, and price range.
Key Takeaways
A carefully curated introduction to popular medaka varieties including Yōkihi, Mikyu, Tri-color Lame, Sapphire, and Yozakura. We provide detailed explanations of each variety's characteristics, ease of care, viewing points, and price range.
Related Species
Medaka Breed Guide | Characteristics and Selection Guide for Popular Varieties
The world of improved medaka has evolved so rapidly that it is said there are now thousands of varieties. The diversity created by combining various elements—body color, body shape, lame (reflective scales), and external light—is truly infinite. The genre appeals not only to veteran enthusiasts for its collectibility, but is also popular among beginners for its ease of care. In this article, we highlight particularly popular varieties and explain in detail the appeal of each and tips for selection. For those raising medaka for the first time, please also see Beginner's Complete Guide to Keeping Medaka.
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The Appeal of Improved Medaka and What to Know Before Choosing a Variety
Behind the rapid spread of improved medaka varieties is the ease of care and the speed of selective breeding. Originally, wild medaka are hardy with high environmental adaptability and are relatively easy to keep even for beginners. With the addition of beautiful body colors and unique body shapes, their popularity as ornamental fish has exploded.
When choosing a variety, there are three key points to keep in mind:
Compatibility with your environment: The varieties that look best change depending on whether you keep them outdoors or indoors. In outdoor sunlight, some varieties' body colors stand out, while indoors, glowing external light or lame (reflective scales) are more visible. The differences between outdoor and indoor care are explained in detail in Thorough Comparison: Outdoor vs. Indoor Medaka Care.
Container color: In white or light containers, body colors appear pale, while in black containers, colors appear deeper and more vibrant. For light-type varieties like Mikyu and Sapphire, black containers are especially recommended.
Individual health status: Always check that the fins are intact, swimming is normal, and there are no wounds or white spots on the body surface.
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The BreederDirect editorial team specializes in care information for animals, covering veterinary care and breeding to deliver beginner-friendly guides.
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Classic Popular Varieties: Breeds Easy to Raise Even for Beginners
Yōkihi
Known as the pioneer of the improved medaka boom, Yōkihi is characterized by vivid orange to reddish body coloring. When exposed to sunlight in outdoor care, the color becomes even deeper, making them especially suited for balcony or garden cultivation. With low difficulty and reasonable pricing, they are the ideal beginner variety for medaka keeping. When selecting one, choose an individual with uniform color across the entire body, particularly with vibrant orange coloring from the back to the sides.
Mikyu
The defining feature of this variety is the bluish-white light "external light" running down the back. Depending on the length of the external light, they are called "Super Light" or "Full Body," with the "Full Body" type—where light extends from the back to the head—being especially prized. Their swimming appearance in a black container is as beautifully luminous as a jewel. The breed itself is not difficult to keep and can be enjoyed by beginners, though maintaining and enhancing the external light requires selective breeding and bloodline management.
Orochi
A highly striking variety with the entire body dyed jet-black. While ordinary black medaka fade when placed in white or light containers, Orochi maintains their blackness regardless of container color. Their sophisticated presence is popular with those wanting to create a sleek, monochrome aquarium. The difficulty level is low to moderate, and they are available at relatively affordable prices.
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Eye-Catching Varieties Popular with Intermediate to Advanced Keepers
Tri-color Lame
A luxurious variety with a three-color pattern of red, white, and black accented with sparkling lame (reflective scales) scattered throughout the body. Since the distribution of the three colors and the amount of lame vary from individual to individual, each is truly a unique work of art. When selecting, individuals with clear color contrast and lame evenly distributed across the body are considered most beautiful. The difficulty level is moderate, but maintaining and breeding high-quality individuals requires selective breeding work.
Sapphire
A variety with mysterious beauty, featuring a deep blue body color with sparkling lame. When raised in black containers, the blue becomes even more striking, and the changing sparkle of the lame with different lighting angles is visually captivating. As of 2026, this is one of the rising-popularity varieties, with breeders continuously creating new lines with improved trait fixation.
Yozakura
This variety is characterized by a fantastical appearance with yellow, black, and lame intricately mixed together, like cherry blossoms glowing against the night sky. Since the patterns and lame distribution vary greatly from individual to individual, it's popular with collectors as a variety that lets you enjoy selective observation. Even siblings from the same parents often develop completely different patterns, providing new discoveries with each breeding generation.
Kōhaku
A variety with a two-color pattern of red and white like fancy carp (koi), with pattern balance and color expression varying greatly from individual to individual. The viewing points are the vibrancy of the red and white contrast and the overall balance of patterns on the body. The price range varies significantly based on pattern beauty, and it receives strong support from collectors who enjoy "kōhaku appreciation."
Daruma Medaka
A charming variety with a shorter, rounder body compared to ordinary medaka. Their swimming style with its unique "pop-pop" motion is healing just to watch. However, their shorter digestive organs make them prone to digestive issues, requiring careful attention to feeding quantity and water temperature management. The difficulty level is moderate, and prices are often set higher than standard-type varieties.
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How to Choose a Variety: Tips for Finding the Right Medaka for You
For those choosing medaka for the first time, it's important to first clarify "what style of care suits you."
Keeping Style
Recommended Varieties
Outdoor, Beginner
Yōkihi, Orochi
Indoor, with Lighting
Mikyu, Sapphire
Collection Focused
Tri-color Lame, Yozakura, Kōhaku
Enjoying Body Shape
Daruma Medaka
Understanding the genetic characteristics of varieties is also helpful when you move on to breeding. For example, crossing lame-type individuals tends to produce denser lame, and with tri-color varieties, the parent's patterns are not directly inherited by offspring, making selective breeding the essence of the hobby. For basic breeding knowledge, please also see Medaka Breeding, Spawning, and Fry Rearing Guide. For an overview of medaka care costs, see The Complete Picture of Medaka Keeping Expenses.
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Bri-Choku's Safety and Reliability System
Bri-Choku provides a platform where you can purchase medaka directly from quality breeders across the country.
What Only Direct Breeder Sales Can Offer
High-quality, pre-selected individuals: Breeders who intimately understand their breeds list only pre-selected individuals, excluding defective specimens. The difference between photos and actual fish is minimal, making for confident individual selection.
Pedigree and parent fish information: You can directly ask breeders about important breeding-related information such as the length of parent fish external light or the expression of tri-color patterns. For those interested in breeding, transparent pedigree information provides significant peace of mind.
Access to rare and latest varieties: You can find high-fixation-rate varieties rarely available at pet shops, as well as trending new varieties on Bri-Choku. As of 2026, the number of improved medaka varieties continues to reach record highs, and Bri-Choku makes the latest varieties accessible.
After-sales support: Unique to Bri-Choku is the ability to ask breeders directly via messaging about post-purchase care methods and health concerns.
Medaka keeping is a deep and rewarding hobby, and by connecting with trustworthy breeders, you can enjoy it all the more richly. Please find your favorite fish on Bri-Choku.
