What feature defines the Class Actinopterygii to which Pristella maxillaris belongs?
Answer
Fins supported by bony spines or rays
The Class Actinopterygii, to which *Pristella maxillaris* is classified, translates roughly to 'ray-finned fishes.' This classification highlights a critical anatomical characteristic: the fins of these bony fish are supported by rays or bony spines. This structure is characteristic of the vast majority of modern bony fish species. This defining feature serves to differentiate them from other fish groups, such as the lobe-finned fishes, whose fins have a fleshy base supported by bone structures analogous to the limbs of terrestrial vertebrates. Understanding this classification level places the X-Ray Tetra firmly within the most common modern fish lineage based on skeletal fin support.
Related Questions
What is the definitive scientific designation for the X-Ray Tetra?What feature defines the Class Actinopterygii to which Pristella maxillaris belongs?What significant grouping does the Order Characiformes unite X-Ray Tetra with?What anatomical feature identifies Genus Pristella within Family Characidae?Why is the X-Ray Tetra affectionately called the X-Ray Fish?What historical name is frequently cited as a synonym for Pristella maxillaris?What is the highest taxonomic rank indicating *Pristella maxillaris* is multicellular and heterotrophic?What water quality consideration is prompted by knowing the X-Ray Tetra's Order Characiformes lineage?Which taxonomic rank places *Pristella maxillaris* among fish possessing a notochord that develops into a vertebral column?Who established the current accepted scientific name Pristella maxillaris and in what year?