Description: Body relatively thin, short and wide with a large eye and a terminal, small mouth. Pectoral and pelvic fins short. Dorsal and anal-fin bases relatively long, caudal peduncle short and wide. The only melanophores are internal on the dorsal peritoneal lining, usually one or two. Series of transitional larvae show development of the eye from flat and round with a large pupil to somewhat bulbous with a small pupil. Transitional larvae develop narrow bars of tiny melanophores radiating out from the eye as well as a broad iridophore bar from the eye across the lower operculum. Small melanophores develop on the first two dorsal spine membranes and along the pelvic-fin membranes.
Diagnosis: The fin-ray count of D-IX,10 A-III,9 with only 11 or 12 pectoral-fin rays indicates Doratonotus megalepis. Caribbean parrotfishes (family Scaridae) share the median-fin ray count, but have 13-16 pectoral-fin rays. (U)
