Fromage Medaka (プロマージュ) – The Soft Glow of Refinement

The Fromage medaka (プロマージュ) is an exquisite Japanese rice fish variety celebrated for its pale, milky body color and subtle luminosity. Its name, "Fromage," meaning cheese in French, reflects the gentle creaminess of its appearance and the soft, fluffy fins that resemble a cheesecake. This elegant strain captures a refined beauty that stands out among both novice and expert collectors.

🌟 Overview

Fromage Medaka showcases a soft, almost white body tone that carries a natural translucent glow. Depending on the lighting, their appearance shifts from creamy ivory to a delicate shimmer, offering a calming presence in both indoor aquariums and outdoor tubs.

🔬 Key Features

• Color: Pale white to milky translucent body with yellow pigment expression in the fins
• Body: Gentle gloss and clean silhouette with fluffy fins and subtle white pigment clusters
• Expression: Calm and elegant with subtle light reflection
• Best Viewed: Under natural light or soft LED to enhance the creamy glow

📖 Background

Fromage Medaka was developed from the same lineage used to create the Midnight Frill strain. While Midnight Frill focused on incorporating frilly fins into a non-background-reactive black body (similar to Black Diamond Medaka), Fromage took a different approach by emphasizing yellow pigmentation. Through careful selective breeding, strains with paler, creamier tones were refined to produce the elegant and luminous appearance that defines Fromage Medaka today.

The Fromage strain was officially developed in 2023 by breeder Seiji Tarumi (垂水政治). It belongs to the category of Golden Semi-Transparent Scales with External Light and Long Fin Frilly Fins (黄金半透明鱗体外光ロングフィンフサヒレ) and features a characteristic "circular light" (一周光) pattern along the body.

Unique to Fromage, the yellow pigmentation and body color display a distinctive expression, believed to result from the crossbreeding of golden-bodied Emekin strains and non-background-reactive black-bodied Black Diamond strains. This blend makes the yellow pigment more resistant to fading. Additionally, the development of white pigment clusters on the fins and body surface adds further visual interest to this elegant strain.

Fromage Medaka is ideal for collectors looking to introduce a peaceful, graceful highlight into their aquatic environments. It pairs beautifully with darker strains for contrasting displays or can be showcased solo for minimalist elegance.

Source: medakanoyakata.muragon.com