26 



SEA-SHORE LIFE 



Fig I ; LIVING COMISIEECIAL SPONGE 



(Glove Sponge) The Bahama Islands. 



libres. The Qesliy parts which cover the skeleton are dark brown 

 or black, and as the living sponge is usually more or less covered 



with mild or silt it is far from 

 attractive in appearance, or 

 pleasant in odor. 



There are ahvays a great 

 number of little pores on the 

 sides of the sponge, and water 

 is drawn through these by 

 means of the constant lashing 

 of vast numbers of cilia which 

 are borne upon the cells lining 

 the passages. This water is 

 forced out through one or 

 m(n-e larger openings at the 

 top of the sponge. In this 

 manner the sponge tissues 

 are aerated and the sponge 

 captures the minute organisms upon which it feeds. Commercial 

 sponges do not grow at depths greater than 200 feet, and the vast 

 majority are obtained in 

 water less than thirty 

 feet deep, the best varie- 

 ties being found at the 

 greatest depth. 



The water is so Avon- 

 derfully clear in the re- 

 gions where they grow, 

 that the fishermen mere- 

 ly use a bucket having a 

 pane of glass in the bot- 

 tom through which they 

 look in scanning the bot- 

 tom for sponges. The 

 sponge is drawn up by 

 a pair of hooks fastened 

 to the end of a Avooden 

 pole. It is allowed to die, and is buried in dry sand until it is 



Fig. 2; THE HORNV SKELETON OF THE 



COMMEKCIAL SPONGE (Glove Sponge) 



from the Bahama Islands. 



