Japanese Medaka

Story
Jake Godo and Kendall Neal
Introduction – Japanese
Medakas
Medakas (Oryzias latipes) are small fish, only
growing to be about 4 cm long.

It is a popular pet, and it lives in both salt water

and fresh water environment.

It is commonly used for scientific studies because it

is simple, short lived, easily raised, and easy to
ship.
Introduction - Jaws
We got our Japanese Medakaon April 16. We
named it Jaws.

We observed it every day (except weekends)

until it hatched on April 27.

We also monitored its heartbeat and its growth.

We used the booklet to determine what stages

it was in.
First Day – Stage 23
 The first day we had our egg we determined that it was in
stage 23.
 The heart beat starts to appear.
 It beats about 40 to 60 beats
per minute, and that is about
what we observed.
 About fifteen somites are
formed, and the head and tail
begin lifting of the yolk sac.
 The pericardial cavity begins to
extend anterior to the forebrain.
Stage 26
This stage is when you can really start to see the
eyes, tail, and fins.
Its heart beat was
about 100 beats per
minute.
Black granules speckle
the optic cup and the
retina darkens.
Stage 30
This picture was taken while the medaka was
in stage 30.
During this stage, the urinary
bladder forms. The heart beat is
140 beats per minute and the
blood is pink or dark pink
The tip of the tail is long enough
to reach the eye, and golden
chromatophores appear on the tail.
Stage 36
Hatching – the fish has hatched.
You can now see its organs and its fins.
It swims around.
There are about 30 somites.
Caring for the Medaka
We gave it fresh spring water every day and
observed it under the microscope.
We were sure to be gentle with it and not
squish it or drop it.
We put it back every day.
After it hatched, we put it in the tank with the
other medaka. They were fed every day and
there was a bubbler in the tank.
Structures and Functions
Filament – small fibers on the outside of the
egg membrane.
Chorion – An outer membrane of the egg,
protects the fish.
Cytoplasm – The liquid inside the egg
surrounding the embryo and everything.
Yolk Sac – The sac that the nutrients for the
fish are, it is attached to the fish so it can
consume the yolk.
Structures and Functions
Cont.
Oil Globule – Small spheres in the yolk sac that.
Heart – This is the cardio muscle that pumps
blood troughout the fish’s body.
Fins – They allow the fish to swim by flapping
them and making the fish go through water
easier.
Optic cup/eye – The eye of the fish, it helps the
fish see.
Brain – The main nervous organ of the fish,
controls its movements and helps it sense
things (sight, felling, smell, taste, hearing)
Structures and Functions
Cont.
Mouth/Jaws – The mouth is where the food
goes into. The jaws stabilize the mouth and
help it open and close.
Somites – Division of the body, they look like
vertebrae, they are segmented along the
neural tube.
References and
Resources
http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/BioG101_104/tu
html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryzias_latipes
The Medaka Booklet