Pure White Transparent-Scale Medaka (ピュアホワイト透明鱗メダカ) – Where Clarity Meets Purity

Pure White Transparent-Scale Medaka (ピュアホワイト透明鱗メダカ) is a beautifully simple yet refined variety developed through meticulous multi-generational breeding. It features a clean milky white body (純白体色) with a gentle translucent glow and subtle red cheeks — embodying purity, balance, and understated beauty.

❄️ Name & Appearance

The term "ピュアホワイト" signifies the true white base (milky), and "透明鱗" refers to its transparent scales that add depth and softness. This strain eliminates yellow pigmentation entirely, differentiating it from “silky” variants, and retains only pure white lineage.

🧬 Origin & Development

• Breeder: Developed by Wada, inheriting the vision and foundation set by Yukio Ōba
• Lineage: Crossed from Pure White Hikari Daruma and transparent-scale white types
• Fixation Rate: 99% pure white color, approx. 80% transparent scale expression (including partial cheek transparency)
• Body Types Produced: Normal, Hikari, Daruma, Hikari-Daruma
• Line Separation: Two maintained lines — Normal + Daruma, and Hikari + Hikari-Daruma

Through careful selective breeding to F4 generation, the strain achieved high stability in both color and transparency. This line continues to reflect the dedication to refinement rather than flashiness, emphasizing the medaka fundamentals: body type, fin size, and color consistency.

🎨 Physical Characteristics

• Body Color: Soft milky white (純白), free of yellow pigments
• Scale Type: Transparent scales with gentle glow and exposed red cheeks
• Fin Expression: Delicate, symmetrical, with potential enhancement in Hikari types
• View Preference: Beautiful in glass tanks or shallow bowls with clean backgrounds
• Visual Appeal: Subtle but captivating in group swimming formations

🔁 Breeding Notes

• Focus on preserving milky white color — avoid yellow-pigmented individuals
• Select breeders with symmetrical fins and strong scale clarity
• Explore improvement in dorsal shine and fin size through Hikari and Daruma line separation

🪞 Related Strains

• Pure White Hikari Daruma: Parent strain used for color inheritance
• Silky Transparent: Similar body form but includes yellow pigment — not used in this line
• Platinum White Medaka: Shimmering white with more iridescence but different genetic background

🌟 Conclusion

Pure White Transparent-Scale Medaka is a return to the essence of refined medaka breeding. With high fixation, clean genetic integrity, and beautiful structural balance, this strain is a favorite among breeders who value the fundamentals. Its group swim in glass tanks offers a calm yet mesmerizing beauty — subtle, serene, and always elegant.

※ This article was based on original breeder material from Medakazukan.
※ Photo credit: SNR KOREA