DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Two wide, black midbody bands.
DESCRIPTION: Silver to white. black bar on head runs across eye; blackish border on rear of body, base of rear dorsal and anal fins.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Black spot, ringed in white, on rear body near upper base of tail.
DESCRIPTION: Silver-gray. Marked with numerous dark, thin lines that radiate at a diagonal from midbody; black bar on hear runs across eye; yellowish submarginal band on rear dorsal, tail and anal fins.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Fins (except pectoral) bright yellow. 2. Black dot on outer edge of rear dorsal fin.
DESCRIPTION: Silver-white. Black bar on head runs across eye; may have darkish spot on rear dorsal fin below distinctive black dot noted above.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Dark blue spot on forehead, speckled and ringed with brilliant blue, forms the "crown." 2. Tail yellow.
DESCRIPTION: Blue to greenish blue, with yellow rims on scales; yellow ventral and pectoral fins; deep blue lips and markings on gill cover; yellowish face.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Black with bright yellow rims on scales. 1. Tail rounded.
DESCRIPTION: Bright yellow ring around eye. All fins black except base of pectoral which is yellow.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Gray body. 1. Yellow inner face of pectoral fin. 2. Square-cut tail.
DESCRIPTION: Uniformly gray to grayish brown with light-edged scales.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Yellow to yellow-orange forebody and tail. 2. Mid and rear body black.
DESCRIPTION: Face and lips occasionally navy blue. Individuals along North and South American coasts less brilliantly colored.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Blue overall. 1. White or yellow spine on base of tail.
DESCRIPTION: Can change from powder blue to deep purple, and pale or darken. Dorsal and anal fins edged in bright blue. More circular than other surgeonfishes.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Uniform color with no body bars.
DESCRIPTION: Can change from bluish gray to dark brown, and pale or darken dramatically. Markings radiate from eye. Blue or white edging on dorsal, anal and tail fins. May have pale band on base of tail.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Always have body bars (10-12), although they may be quite faint.
DESCRIPTION: Can change from bluish gray to dark brown, and pale or darken dramatically. Several markings radiate from eye. Blue or white edging on dorsal, anal and tail fins. May have pale band on base of tail.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Bright blue-and-black border on back runs along dorsal fin and onto lower tail fin.
DESCRIPTION: Silvery. Can darken almost to black, especially when feeding near bottom.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Silver. Long, cylindrical body. 1. Large underslung jaw, pointed teeth often obvious.
DESCRIPTION: Usually has scattered, dark blotches. Can darken showing side bands. Dorsal fins widely separated.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Gray to silver. "Football-shaped" body. (Note: Reliably distinguishing between these two species visually while underwater is considered impossible.)
DESCRIPTION: Initially appear uniformly gray to silver; occasionally display whitish blotches. A close look reveals thin yellow to bronze stripes on body and a stripe, bordered in white, under eye from mouth to gill cover.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Yellow stripes below lateral line set on diagonal.
DESCRIPTION: Yellow stripes on a white to bluish or yellowish silver background. Stripes above lateral line are horizontal. Fins yellow.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Dark tail and rear dorsal fin. 2. Blue stripes.
DESCRIPTION: Blue stripes over yellow-gold. Dark tail and dorsal fins have light margins; other fins yellow.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Brilliant yellow midbody stripe and tail.
DESCRIPTION: Silvery to white, often tinged with blue. May have yellow spots on upper body. Tail deeply forked.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Black and white. 1. Forebody is usually black. DESCRIPTION: Location of boundary between dark and pale area varies greatly; dark area may cover only upper head or extend past midbody to base of tail; pale area often yellowish near boundary, especially toward belly. Pale fins may have bluish cast. On rare occasion, there is a reverse color phase.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Dark body. 1. Yellow tail.
DESCRIPTION: Vary from brown to bluish black. Bright blue speckles on head, back and dorsal fin.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Five black body bars. 2. Upper lip does not overhang lower.
DESCRIPTION: Upper body usually yellow, occasionally with shades of green to blue, and white to bluish silver or light gray below. Male becomes dark blue to purple during mating season when guarding reddish purple egg patches.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Brilliant blue. 1. Slender, deeply forked tail with dark borders.
DESCRIPTION: Often dark on nape and along back.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Brown. 1. Border of dorsal fin and tips of tail fin yellow. 2. Dark spot around base of pectoral fin.
DESCRIPTION: Vary from brownish gray to olive-brown. Usually a white or pale yellow spot located just below last dorsal fin ray; may have black borders on tail, primarily in southern Caribbean. Slender, deeply forked tail.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Dark, tiger-like bars.
DESCRIPTION: Upper body has whitish undercolor; lower body pale yellow. Series of dark dots form diffuse horizontal lines on body. Head more pointed than that of other family members.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Bicolored – purple to violet front and yellow to gold rear. 2. Dark spot on dorsal fin.
DESCRIPTION: Several streaks on head run across eye.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Bright yellow spot at upper corner of gill cover. 2. Yellow area at base of tail. 3. Salmon to yellow crescent on tail.
DESCRIPTION: Emerald green. Salmon to yellow markings on head and fins. Tail is crescent-shaped.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Small yellow blotch with two or more small black spots on upper forebody. 2. Usually salmon to orange or yellow band from corner of mouth to below eye.
DESCRIPTION: Greenish overall, underside lighter; anal fin usually reddish. Outer tips of tail black. Tail square-cut.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Yellow head and forebody. 2. Dark midbody bar.
DESCRIPTION: Head and forebody vary from bright yellow to yellowish or greenish tan; dark blue to green rear body and tail. Dark midbody bar continues as a wide border along back to tail.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Blue head. 2. Two dark bars behind head, separated by white bar.
DESCRIPTION: Rear body is green to blue-green.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: Long, thin body. 1. Trumpet-like mouth.
DESCRIPTION: Adept at color change. Most common phase is brown to reddish brown; can be blue-gray, bright yellow or many shades between. Have pale lines, scattered small black spots, and a black streak on upper jaw.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. A row of three dark, rectangular body blotches is normally visible when fish are active (when resting, change to blotched or mottled reddish brown). 2. Two barbels under tip of chin.
DESCRIPTION: Rapidly and dramatically change color from white to blotched and mottled red to reddish brown when becoming inactive. Light bluish lines often on head and, occasionally, upper body.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES: 1. Yellow tail and midbody stripe. 2. Two barbels under tip of chin.
DESCRIPTION: White; upper body may have shadings ranging from blue to olive or red. Fins, other than tail, may be white or yellowish.