What feature must an organism possess to be placed in Phylum Chordata?
Answer
A notochord.
Placement within the Phylum Chordata establishes a fundamental criterion for the Yellow Tang's existence as a complex animal. The defining characteristic for inclusion in this phylum is the presence, at some discernible stage during the organism's development, of a notochord. The notochord is a flexible rod that provides skeletal support, which is the hallmark feature that distinguishes chordates from other major invertebrate phyla. Since the Yellow Tang is a fish, it possesses this structure, thereby firmly establishing its position within the vertebrate lineage of the animal kingdom.
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