Japanese rice fish – also known as medaka (Oryzias latipes) – are a small, unassuming species that live wild in the marshlands and rice fields of Japan. They are externally fertilizing fish ...

The surface of Japanese rice fish's body has pigment cells that receive a hormone from cells in the pituitary gland and synthesize melanin. Cells in the gland contain the so-called Opn5m receptor ...

Rice is the bedrock of Japanese cuisine, and with terms like ‘sushi rice’ and ‘sticky rice’ it can seem like there are lots of types ... kombu doesn’t have a fish or seafood flavour.

Tokyo, Feb. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japanese rice fish detect ultraviolet rays from sunlight directly with the pituitary gland and turn their bodies black for protection, a Japanese team has found.