Lux in Tenebris Medaka Tee, Firefly Medaka Special Edition

Lux in Tenebris is Latin for "light in darkness," and that is the whole idea of this shirt. A night moth with pink eyespots crowns an oval Victorian cameo, and inside it my engraved medaka swims under a crescent moon and a scatter of stars, with small water marks rippling below. Two fireflies glow in pink halftone at the ribbon tails, and "Firefly Medaka" runs across the top in blackletter with a fine pink outline. It is memento mori without a single skull: moth, moon, and frame, the dark academia way.

The fish comes from the same measured drawing as my field guide tee, so the anatomy is right: one short dorsal fin set far back, the anal fin running from mid-body to the tail, and the big eye high on the head.

Printed direct to garment in bone and Firefly pink on the Comfort Colors 1717, a 6.1 oz heavyweight tee in 100% ring-spun cotton, garment dyed for that soft, lived-in feel, with a relaxed fit. Wash cold inside out and tumble dry low, or hang dry, to keep the print crisp.

The tee is the one for warm nights, from summer evenings at the tubs to an October party. The relaxed fit and 100% cotton breathe, and the dark shirt keeps the bone and pink print glowing.

Sizes S through 4XL in Black and Berry, a deep plum, one price in every size. It is part of my After Dark collection, a goth fish shirt for Halloween or any night of the year, made to order and shipped on its own, separate from any fish.