Schoenaster carterensis new species, is an asteroid-like ophiuroid (Echinodermata) from Upper Mississippian (Chesterian) shallow-water carbonates in the Ramey Creek Member of the Slade Formation in northeastern Kentucky. First described in the 1860s from Lower and Middle Mississippian rocks, Schoenaster Meek and Worthen, 1860 is not a well-known fossil genus, but the 39 specimens in this collection permitted further definition of the genus and extended its range by ca. 17 Ma into Late Mississippian (Chesterian) time. The number of specimens also permitted differentiation of growth stages based on average arm length and showed that arm length, disk perimeter, and disk area are interrelated in statistically significant ways. Although replaced by chert, the specimens are nearly intact due to rapid burial as rare constituents in habitat communities distributed among four once-contiguous habitats, including shoal, shoal margin, transitional, and basinal. Most of the ophiuroids were concentrated on firm grounds or hardgrounds in shoal and transitional environments, concentrations that probably reflect substratum stability and the ability to support the ophiuroid's generalist feeding strategy. Many fossil ophiuroid species are known from only a few specimens, severely limiting interpretations about their detailed taxonomy, individual variation, and ecology. In contrast, the greater number of specimens and extensive knowledge of geologic occurrence in this study permitted detailed interpretations regarding the taxonomic, intraspecific, and ecologic attributes of this species, which might be useful in the study of other fossil ophiuroids.UUID: http://www.zoobank.org/ffd945d8-63ac-4c38-a2d3-8647558dbbf0

中文翻译：

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Schoenaster carterensis 的古生态学和分类学，一种来自美国肯塔基州东北部上密西西比 (Chesterian) 斯莱德组的一种新的 encrinasterid 类蛇类物种

鲶鱼新物种，是来自肯塔基州东北部 Slade 组的 Ramey Creek 段的上密西西比 (Chesterian) 浅水碳酸盐的类小行星蛇尾类 (Echinodermata)。在 1860 年代首次从密西西比河下游和中部的岩石中描述，勋纳斯特Meek and Worthen, 1860 不是一个著名的化石属，但该集合中的 39 个标本允许进一步定义该属，并将其范围扩大 ca。17 Ma 进入密西西比晚期（Chesterian）时间。样本的数量还允许根据平均臂长区分生长阶段，并表明臂长、圆盘周长和圆盘面积以统计学上显着的方式相互关联。尽管被燧石取代，但由于快速掩埋，这些标本几乎完好无损，作为栖息地群落中的稀有成分，分布在四个曾经连续的栖息地，包括浅滩、浅滩边缘、过渡和盆地。大多数蛇类集中在浅滩和过渡环境中的坚固地面或硬地，可能反映基质稳定性和支持阿片类综合喂养策略的能力的浓度。许多蛇类化石物种仅从少数标本中得知，严重限制了对其详细分类、个体变异和生态学的解释。相比之下，本研究中更多的标本和对地质发生的广泛了解允许对该物种的分类学、种内和生态属性进行详细解释，这可能对其他化石类蛇类的研究有用。UUID：http://www.zoobank.org/ffd945d8-63ac-4c38-a2d3-8647558dbbf0