What feature characterizes membership in Phylum Chordata for *T. albacares* during development?
Answer
Possessing a notochord at some developmental stage.
Membership in the Phylum Chordata is fundamentally defined by possessing several specific structures at some point during the organism's life cycle, the most central being the notochord, a flexible, rod-like structure that provides skeletal support. Other defining features include a dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail. Since the Yellowfin Tuna is a fish, it is a vertebrate and therefore a chordate. The other choices relate to different taxonomic levels: bony spines relate to Class Actinopterygii, streamlined bodies relate to Family Scombridae adaptations, and heterotrophic nutrition relates to Kingdom Animalia.
Related Questions
What class defines the Yellowfin Tuna, *Thunnus albacares*, by its fin structure?Which family groups the Yellowfin Tuna with mackerels and bonitos?What physiological adaptation primarily defines membership within the Genus *Thunnus*?What is the approximate Latin translation of the Yellowfin Tuna species name *albacares*?What feature characterizes membership in Phylum Chordata for *T. albacares* during development?What distinguishes the placement of *T. albacares* within the Order Perciformes?Which historical synonym was applied to what is now recognized as *Thunnus albacares*?What criteria define membership in Kingdom Animalia for the Yellowfin Tuna?What morphological feature helps distinguish *T. albacares* from a Skipjack (*Katsuwonus pelamis*) for regulatory use?How is the global distribution of *Thunnus albacares* generally described in relation to water temperature zones?