filefish

file·fish

F0118100 (fīl′fĭsh′)n. pl. filefish or file·fish·es Any of various chiefly tropical marine fishes of the family Monacanthidae, having a flat body, a long dorsal spine, and rough skin.

filefish

(ˈfaɪlˌfɪʃ) n, pl -fish or -fishes (Animals) any tropical triggerfish, such as Alutera scripta, having a narrow compressed body and a very long dorsal spine[C18: referring to its file-like scales]

file•fish

(ˈfaɪlˌfɪʃ)

n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish, (esp. for kinds or species) -fish•es. any of several flattened marine fishes of the family Monacanthidae, having an elongated head and spiny scales. [1765–75]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

filefish - narrow flattened warm-water fishes with leathery skin and a long file-like dorsal spineplectognath, plectognath fish - tropical marine fishes having the teeth fused into a beak and thick skin covered with bony plates or spinesBalistidae, family Balistidae - triggerfishesleatherfish, leatherjacket - any of several brightly colored tropical filefishes