Reggie is a Japanese Medaka fish that was observed developing from an embryo over the course of a week by students in a classroom. Each day, pictures were taken to document Reggie's development from an early embryo with visible structures like the oil globule and somites, to later stages where organs like the heart and swim bladder developed. On the final day, Reggie hatched from his egg and began swimming freely, having successfully completed his development.

1. The Wonderful Life of
Reggie the Medaka.
By Dakota Lellock

2. Reggie is a Japanese Medaka
fish. A fish that is good for
learning the growth of an
embryo in the setting of a
classroom. We took care of
Reggie for a week until he grew
into a young hatchling. Taking
pictures of him along the way.
He is now swimming freely in a
small container with fellow
Medakas.

3. Day 1:
On April 7 our examinations
of young Reggie’s life we
snagged a picture that
includes the oil globule,
filaments, somites, forebrain,
and yolk sac. Reggie is on
stage 20 about 33 hours into
his development cycle.
Reggie is so far into his
hatching for being day 1
because of the time it took
when the egg was brought to
us.

4. Day 2:
In this poor quality picture
of Reggie not development
can be seen. Although when
looked for several seconds
we saw that Reggie’s
somites would twitch
involuntarily.

5. Day 3:
Today much development
can be seen in Reggie. It
looks like he is taking a
small nap. But a closer look
shows that his heart is now
visible with pink blood
inside of it and a spleen,
blood vessel, swim bladder,
and dorsal fin have
developed over a short
weekend break.

6. Day 4:
On this day you have a
much better view of a part
of the embryo that has been
there all along the chorion.
The chorion is the
outermost sac that
surrounds the embryo.

7. Day 5:
Today Reggie seems to be
more and more alive. The
blood in Reggie is more
visible throughout the
embryo. It will not be long
until he hatches.

8. Day 6:
I honestly can not tell what
is going on in Reggie’s egg
today. I think it is just a bad
shot but when turned we
could not find anything
better. We should have tried
harder. It could mean a lot if
we would have found a
better view.

9. Day 7:
Reggie’s blood is really
visible in this picture along
with his optic lens and yolk
sac. Other than that no
major development can be
seen.

10. Day 8:
Hooray! Reggie hatched. He
seems to be really energetic
as he swims rapidly back
and forth under the
microscope. His mouth, jaw
and dorsal fin are really
visible in this picture. This
picture of him has to be my
favorite because he is finally
hatched and we have made
it through without a death.