What characteristic describes the White Sturgeon's tail fin structure?
Answer
Heterocercal tail
The tail fin structure of the White Sturgeon is technically described as a heterocercal tail. This structure is characterized by the vertebral column extending into the upper lobe of the tail fin, making the upper lobe typically longer than the lower lobe. This feature is indicative of more primitive ray-finned fishes. This contrasts with the structure found in many more derived bony fishes, which exhibit homocercal tails where the upper and lower lobes are more symmetrical in size and structure. The heterocercal tail is one of the key features defining the Acipenseridae family along with the lack of scales and the presence of bony scutes.
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