ows ▁is ▁that ▁their ▁d ors al ▁fin ▁has ▁fewer ▁than ▁ten ▁supporting ▁structures , ▁called ▁ray s . ▁ ▁Silver j aw ▁min n ows ▁have ▁eight ▁soft - ray s ▁which ▁are ▁thin , ▁flexible ▁memb ran ous ▁structures . ▁ ▁Their ▁d ors al ▁fin ▁is ▁over ▁their ▁pel vic ▁region ▁where ▁their ▁vent ral ▁fins ▁are ▁located . ▁They ▁are ▁light ▁tan ▁with ▁a ▁dark ▁line ▁on ▁their ▁back ▁and ▁have ▁dark ly ▁out lined ▁scales . ▁ ▁Another ▁defining ▁feature ▁is ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁breast ▁scales , ▁which ▁distingu ishes ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁long j aw ▁min now . ▁These ▁fish ▁are ▁ed ent ul ous , ▁lack ing ▁teeth ▁on ▁their ▁j aws ; ▁however , ▁they ▁do ▁have ▁ph ary n ge al ▁teeth ▁in ▁their ▁thro at . ▁ ▁Their ▁eyes ▁are ▁nearly ▁at op ▁their ▁heads ▁pointing ▁up ward . ▁ ▁They ▁have ▁a ▁slightly ▁com pressed ▁body ▁with ▁the ▁deep est ▁part ▁by ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁their ▁neck . ▁ ▁Their ▁long ▁sn out ▁which ▁projects ▁slightly ▁past ▁their ▁sub term inal ▁mouth ▁rel ates ▁to ▁their ▁feed ing ▁behav iors ▁as ▁bottom ▁dwell ing ▁fish es . ▁Silver j aw ▁min n ows ▁grow ▁to ▁be ▁ 2 - 3 ▁inches ▁in ▁length . ▁ ▁Range / distribution ▁ ▁This ▁species ▁exhib its ▁a ▁dis j unct ▁distribution , ▁existing ▁in ▁a ▁northern ▁and ▁southern ▁range ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁northern ▁range ▁extends ▁from ▁eastern ▁Missouri ▁to ▁Maryland ,