430 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
The sheepswool sponges of this region are of fine quality, close and tough 
of fiber, rather flat or cake shaped, and somewhat darker in color than the 
Key sponges. ‘They bring a higher price than any American sponges, though 
probably not superior to those from other sections of the Bay grounds, the 
product of all of which goes under the general designation of ‘‘ Rock Island.” 
Pepperfish Key region.—These beds lie opposite Pepperfish Keys and 
extend from the sandy bottom off Piney Point and Grass Island to the similar, 
though larger, area off the Suwanee and Cedar Keys. In the deeper water 
they join the Rock Island beds on the one hand and the New ground beds on 
the other. They lie in a depth of from 6 to 7 feet to 10 or 11 fathoms, begin- 
ning about 3 or 5 miles from shore, and extend a distance of about 25 to 35 
miles. Their total area in 1905 was about 550 square miles, of which about 
75 square miles, lying in a depth of from 8 to 18 feet, was mainly productive 
of grass sponges. 
New Ground region.—The New ground is so called because it was discov- 
ered at a later period than those on each side, Pepperfish and St. Martins Reef, 
between which it formed a connecting link in the deeper water outside of the 
sandy area, which separates them shoreward. Its extent northwest and south- 
east is about 30 miles, lying in sinuous outline in a depth of between 5 and 10 
fathoms at the stage of development of 1905. Its width varies, but averages 
a little over 10 miles, and its area as exploited by the hookers is about 350 
square miles. This is a prolific ground and, in the opinion of the hookers, 
marks the northern limit at which the sponges are at present most abundant. 
Withlacoochee Bight and St. Martins Reej.—vThis includes the sponge beds 
between the mouth of the Waccasassa River and Sea Horse Reef on the north 
and St. Martins Reef on the south, covering an area of about 1,100 square miles. 
As developed by the hookers, the beds ranged from a depth of about 7 or 8 feet 
to 9 or 10 fathoms; but the divers have since found the productive bottom to 
extend in some places to 15 or 18 fathoms. 
Withlacoochee Bight is prolific in sheepswool sponges, but owing, perhaps, 
to the discharge of the numerous small streams along shore the water is gen- 
erally too cloudy for the hookers to work to advantage. In the shoaler water, 
from 1 to 3 fathoms deep, extending™along the inner edge of these grounds for 
almost their entire length, there is an area on which grass sponges predominate, 
and some years ago many fine large ones were taken there; but it is stated that 
the growth now consists almost wholly of small specimens. In the deeper 
water sheepswool and yellow sponges predominate, with a considerable num- 
ber of large grass sponges. This region and the grounds to the southward are 
those now principally resorted to by the divers. 
Anclote region.—The Anclote region, practically continuous with the pre- 
ceding and the following, extends from St. Martins Reef to about Big Pass, 
