How are shrimpfishes protected without scales?

Although shrimpfishes lack traditional scales, they are protected by a specialized external structure. Their bodies are covered by a cuirass, which is a form of body armor composed of thin, transparent, bony plates.12

These plates are extensions of the vertebral column and are fused with the endoskeleton. This armor is affixed to the ribs anteriorly and extends posteriorly beyond the fish's dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, terminating in a long spine. This rigid, bony framework provides the necessary protection for these small, compressed marine fishes.321