FISHES WITH CONJOINED JAWS. 



349 



Fig. 2S1.- -sun-fish. 



The File Fishes (Scleroderms)* are easily distin- 

 guished by their conical or pyramidal snout, prolonged 

 from the eyes, and terminated by a small mouth 



Fig. 282.— file fish. 



armed with a few teeth that are distinct from each 

 other. Their skin is generally rough or covered 

 with hard scales ; some of them, named 



Balistes, have a compressed body covered by a scaly 



* (TKAripos, skleros, hard; oepfta, derma, shin. 



