Budo Goromo photograph
Where to look for the dark pattern
Start with the white ground and look closely at the edges of the scales inside each red patch. In Ai Goromo, the indigo stays within those patches. Goshiki has an Asagi-like mesh across the dorsal ground, and some Goshiki also show color over the red. Ordinary Sanke has separate black markings. Koromo Sanke can show those markings and indigo edging within the red.
Goromo varieties and related forms
| Variety | Identification clue |
|---|---|
| Ai Goromo | White ground and red patches with indigo crescent-shaped scale tips. |
| Budo Goromo | Reddish-brown patches with dark markings that look like clusters of grapes. |
| Koromo Sanke | Taisho Sanke pattern with indigo crescents in the red patches as well as separate Sanke sumi. |
| Koromo Showa | Showa pattern with indigo crescents in the red patches. |
| Doitsu Koromo Showa | Reduced scale coverage with Koromo Showa characteristics. |
| Shunrai | White ground and red patches, with black half-moon scale tips in the red or across the back. |
What to look for when choosing Goromo
Watch the koi swim from above. Look at body shape and the clarity of the white ground and red pattern, then check whether the scale detail is even and easy to see. Change your viewing angle if reflections make the color hard to judge.