Which Phylum is Acipenser transmontanus placed in, characterized by the presence of a notochord?
Answer
Chordata
The White Sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, is placed within the Phylum Chordata. This classification is based on the presence of several defining characteristics at some developmental stage, most notably the notochord. Other key features defining this phylum include a dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail. The subphylum classification further refines this, placing it in Vertebrata because it possesses a backbone, even though its primary skeletal structure appears cartilaginous due to the large bony plates known as scutes that cover its exterior body.

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