filefish

[fahyl-fish]

noun

plural

filefish ,

plural

filefishes .

1. any of several flattened marine fishes of the family Monacanthidae, having an elongated head with a small mouth and small, spiny scales.

2. a triggerfish.

filefish

/ ˈfaɪlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any tropical triggerfish, such as Alutera scripta , having a narrow compressed body and a very long dorsal spine

Word History and Origins

Origin of filefish¹

First recorded in 1765–75; file ² + fish

Word History and Origins

Origin of filefish¹

C18: referring to its file-like scales

Example Sentences

Species such as the orange-spotted filefish are completely dependent on coral reefs, and highly sensitive to warmer water.

Read more on The Guardian

“Hey, look at this sponge crab,” ”I got a sea urchin,” ”There’s a leatherjacket; no, it’s an Atlantic bumper,” ”Wow, a filefish,” ”That’s a lane snapper,” ”What kind of snapper?”

Read more on Washington Times

But the filefish is the first vertebrate species found to camouflage its smell, which means that the behavior could be even more widespread across the animal kingdom than previously thought.

Read more on Science Magazine

The harlequin filefish is a master of disguise.

Read more on Science Magazine

Now, scientists have discovered that the filefish doesn’t just look like a branch of coral—it smells like one, too.

Read more on Science Magazine