How difficult is it to keep Ogawa Black Medaka?

Intermediate. This is an intermediate-level species. Some prior experience and knowledge of environmental management are recommended.

What is the ideal temperature for Ogawa Black Medaka?

The ideal temperature for Ogawa Black Medaka is 18〜28℃. Avoid sudden temperature changes and maintain a stable environment.

What is the lifespan of Ogawa Black Medaka?

The average lifespan of Ogawa Black Medaka is 2-3 years. With proper care and nutrition, they can live a long and healthy life.

How large does Ogawa Black Medaka get?

Ogawa Black Medaka typically reaches Up to about 4cm SL as an adult. Size may vary depending on care conditions and individual genetics.

What should I feed Ogawa Black Medaka?

Ogawa Black Medaka feeds on: Prepared medaka food, green water. Aim for a balanced diet with appropriate feeding frequency.

What is the typical price for Ogawa Black Medaka?

The price of Ogawa Black Medaka varies significantly depending on morph, size, and lineage. Check our market price page for the latest pricing information.

AI-generated image

Ogawa Black Medaka

Intermediate

Oryzias latipes

An improved medaka that keeps a black body with normal eyes, without responding to the background. It was created in 2009 by selecting the most heavily pigmented fish out of purple blue, a brown line low in yellow pigment and high in black. It is known as the black body colour created next after pure black.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Temperature

18〜28℃

Lifespan

2-3 years

Size

Up to about 4cm SL

Diet

Prepared medaka food, green water

About

Ogawa black is an improved medaka that holds a black body with normal eyes and no background response. According to the Medaka Web Encyclopedia's account of the black body colour, the first black medaka was the pure black created at Medaka no Yakata in 2001, which held its colour because the small-eye trait blocked the background response. The next was ogawa black in 2009, produced by selecting the most heavily pigmented fish out of purple blue, a brown line low in yellow pigment and high in black, until a black body that did not respond to the background appeared in normal-eyed fish. The background response is the phenomenon by which a medaka looks darker in a black container and paler in a white one, and a black fish without it keeps its colour even in a white container. A black fish that does respond turns grey within about five minutes in a white container, so the two are easy to tell apart there. The black body colour lacks yellow pigment cells; fish that retain them fall under the sub-category known as yellow-finned black.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lifespan of the Ogawa Black Medaka

The Ogawa Black Medaka lives 2-3 years.

Size of the Ogawa Black Medaka

The Ogawa Black Medaka grows to Up to about 4cm SL.

Temperature & humidity for the Ogawa Black Medaka

The ideal temperature for the Ogawa Black Medaka is 18〜28℃.

Basic Info

Origin

Japan (created in 2009; described in the Medaka Web Encyclopedia's account of the black body colour)

Care Specifications

pH: 7–8
Hardness (GH): 9–19 dGH
Water Temp.: 18–28℃

PeacefulGroupBreeding: Moderate

Sources: Medaka Web Encyclopedia: Complete Medaka Care Guide / FishBase Oryzias latipes / Medaka Web Encyclopedia: Black body colour

Morphs (Varieties)

The Japan Medaka Association's classification manual sorts varieties by traits that can be seen rather than by genotype, and does not set out how individual traits are inherited. Traits the manual explicitly says can be passed on and produced by selective, multi-generation breeding are listed as line-bred; the rest are grouped under Other.

Other

Black body colour (no background response)Purple blue (parent line)

Sources: Japan Medaka Association: Variety Classification Manual, 5th ed. (Sep 2025) / Medaka Web Encyclopedia: Medaka Traits / Medaka Web Encyclopedia: Black body colour / Medaka Web Encyclopedia: Lineage Chart of Improved Medaka Ver.7

A curated selection of notable morphs. Inheritance modes are a breeding-planning guide; actual appearance varies with combos.