12 additional historical names and research lines
Original strains, later phenotypes, breeding experiments and reflection research are different kinds of record. These 12 entries do not mean 12 unrelated original genetic discoveries.
| # | Name / Japanese | Document type | Source-supported breeding history | Unresolved issue | Primary publication |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayanishiki 綾錦 | Original breeder-attributed named variety | 2017 breeder visit names Tarumi as creator, and 2017 Ehime exhibition records his Ayanishiki as a red-white ornamental line | Exact original founding fish and creator release year are not published | Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗ · Pisces, 2017 Ehime breeder exhibition ↗ |
| 2 | Gokubeni Nishiki 極紅錦 | Original breeder-attributed named variety | 2017 publisher interview lists Gokubeni Nishiki among Tarumi's earlier completed named varieties | Source does not specify the parent pairing, trait diagnosis or formal first commercial launch | Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗ |
| 3 | Sekito Nishiki 赤兎錦 | Original breeder-attributed selected line | Publisher credits Tarumi with a nontransparent tricolor line developed from Kiyohara Hikari Special-related fish and further nontransparent-scale crossing; later maintained by other breeders | Kiyohara created an earlier input line; later maintaining breeders are not all original creators | Pisces, 2017 Sekito Nishiki direct breeder history ↗ · Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗ |
| 4 | Mebina Exterior Light 女雛体外光 | Documented later selected form | 2017 first-hand reporting describes Tarumi selecting Mebina offspring for dorsal exterior reflection after deep persimmon-orange expression | Do not treat the reported selected form as an unrelated original founder line or a second invention of Mebina | Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗ · Pisces, 2017 Ehime breeder exhibition ↗ |
| 5 | Yozakura × Mebina 夜桜×女雛 | Unreleased or unnamed breeder cross program | 2017 breeder-site visit reports a Yozakura × Mebina working cross in tanks after Tarumi moved beyond finished Yozakura stock | No official stabilized cultivar title, founder pair ID, published inheritance ratios or separate release verified | Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗ |
| 6 | Mebina × Fuga Swallow 女雛×風雅 | Unreleased or unnamed breeder cross program | 2017 first-hand visit documents a Mebina × Fuga Swallow working cross with partial extended fin rays | Swallow fin influence does not establish Matsui full-fin elongation or a named new variety | Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗ |
| 7 | Kizakura Lame Selection 黄桜ラメ選別 | Documented working selected form | 2017 visit describes Kizakura crossed or selected to increase lame-reflecting scales; source photos show multiple variants | Distinct from claiming every later lame fish is the same genetic stock | Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗ |
| 8 | Uroko Ketto Scale-reflection Program 鱗血統 | Original breeder trait-research program | 2019 on-farm report calls individually rimmed continuous reflective dorsal scales Uroko Ketto as distinct from solid exterior-light shine | This is a breeding/phenotype program description, not a genetically proven new allele or universally registered strain | Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗ |
| 9 | Hire-hikari Fin-reflection Program ヒレ光血統 | Original breeder trait-research program | 2019 on-farm report describes selection for Miyuki-like reflection on pectoral, pelvic, anal, caudal and dorsal fins, initially advanced separately from Uroko Ketto | Fin reflection and scale reflection were separate work streams, not verified to be one fixed inheritance unit | Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗ |
| 10 | Aurora-type Long Fin オーロラ系ロングフィン | Working fin-form selection | 2019 original site report illustrates Tarumi Aurora longfin fish and fin-reflection selection trials | Source does not disclose a named direct fish mating or independent retail variety release | Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗ |
| 11 | Albino Uroko / Fin-reflection Program 鱗血統ヒレ光アルビノ | Experimental combined trait program | 2019 visit describes albino forms of the Uroko and fin-light program receiving focused breeding attention | No published segregation study, fixation generation, separate retail naming or sexed founder pair verified | Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗ |
| 12 | Yozakura Gold Selection 夜桜ゴールド | Documented downstream color selection | 2021 published followup describes a gold-toned Yozakura variant being maintained in a breeding group | Publisher's selected fish do not by themselves establish that Tarumi originally created the gold downstream form | Pisces, 2021 Yozakura Gold retained broodstock ↗ |
Three additional verified 2023 competition honors
- 2nd place — Mariage longfin, fin elongation emphasis. Entrant Masaharu Tarumi; fish name: Not named in organizer results. First All-Japan Improved Medaka Championship, full 2023 results ↗
- Aqua Life special award — Morpho-type, subtype expression. Entrant Masaharu Tarumi; fish name: Not named in organizer results. First All-Japan Improved Medaka Championship, full 2023 results ↗
- Kiyohara Hikaru special award — Morpho-type, subtype expression. Entrant Masaharu Tarumi; fish name: Not named in organizer results. First All-Japan Improved Medaka Championship, full 2023 results ↗
These supplement the previously recorded 2023 Fromage MVP and 2025 Nameless Lame win. The 2023 championship identifies the breeder but does not identify individual fish names, so the awards are not attached to Fromage, Red Cliff, or any other cultivar. Tarumi did not win the championship overall title or first place in these listed categories.
Breeding and selection methods: source-specific evidence
- Look for individual reflective scales: The 2019 visit separates Uroko Ketto edge-by-edge reflective scales from a solid Miyuki exterior light band. Inspect both top and side before choosing breeders. Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗
- Maintain a separate fin-light line: The 2019 source says dorsal net reflection and reflective pectoral/pelvic/anal/caudal fins were initially developed in separate selection lines, so simultaneous expression is not guaranteed. Pisces, 2019 on-site Uroko and fin-light research ↗
- Test a trait after reaching a color goal: In 2017 the breeder continued Mebina selection for exterior light and Fuga fins after achieving persimmon-orange color, rather than treating the original variety label as a finished genotype. Pisces, 2017 Tarumi breeder visit and original crosses ↗
- Optimize broodstock conditioning: The 2026 Pisces publisher advice recommends appropriate water quality, nutritious food and accessible spawning material; it reports that anchoring spawning substrate in a container corner can change egg numbers. This is publisher care advice, not a quoted Tarumi protocol. Pisces Medaka AG Vol.07, breeding practice and Fromage family ↗
Photograph reuse rights review
The cited galleries and publisher interviews display creator or publisher photography, but no compatible rehosting license or direct permission to Aquapedia was found in these records. The source images have therefore not been downloaded or republished. The outbound citations remain available for viewing originals in their context.