﻿2G6 
  KEPOKT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  COMMERCIAL 
  SPONGES 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  

   SPONGE-GROUNDS. 
  

  

  The 
  Florida 
  spongegroimds 
  are 
  in 
  three 
  principal 
  localities: 
  Vicinity 
  

   of 
  Hock 
  Island, 
  Anclote 
  Key, 
  and 
  the 
  Florida 
  Keys. 
  

  

  The 
  llock 
  Island, 
  grounds 
  extend 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  from 
  Cedar 
  Keys 
  to 
  

   Apalachee 
  Bay, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  90 
  miles, 
  and 
  sponges 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  

   greater 
  or 
  less 
  abundance 
  over 
  the 
  entne 
  region. 
  The 
  best 
  grounds 
  are 
  

   said 
  to 
  lie 
  oft' 
  Pmey 
  Point 
  between 
  latitude 
  29° 
  40' 
  and 
  29° 
  50', 
  or 
  just 
  

   above 
  Deadman 
  Bay 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Steinhatchee 
  Eiver. 
  Other 
  

   good 
  grounds 
  are 
  in 
  Ocilla 
  Bay 
  off 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Ocilla 
  River, 
  and 
  

   above 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Suwanee 
  River 
  at 
  a 
  place 
  called 
  Pepperhsh 
  

   Key. 
  Sponges 
  are 
  reported 
  to 
  be 
  abundant 
  in 
  Suwanee 
  Bay, 
  but 
  the 
  

   water 
  is 
  seldom 
  clear 
  enough 
  to 
  permit 
  their 
  being 
  seen. 
  

  

  The 
  Anclote 
  grounds 
  extend 
  from 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Johns 
  Pass, 
  just 
  

   below 
  Clearwater 
  Harbor, 
  to 
  Cedar 
  Keys. 
  The 
  best 
  ground 
  at 
  present 
  

   is 
  St. 
  Martin 
  Reef, 
  lying 
  off 
  Homosassa 
  and 
  Crystal 
  River, 
  between 
  

   latitude 
  28° 
  40' 
  and 
  28° 
  50'. 
  The 
  center 
  of 
  this 
  ground 
  is 
  crossed 
  by 
  

   the 
  83d 
  meridian. 
  Southwest 
  of 
  St. 
  Martin 
  Reef 
  is 
  what 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  

   the 
  '']Si^ew 
  Ground," 
  where 
  excellent 
  sponges 
  are 
  obtained 
  in 
  42 
  to 
  45 
  

   feet 
  of 
  water. 
  Another 
  center 
  of 
  abundance 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  lie 
  off 
  Bayport. 
  

   Nearly 
  the 
  entire 
  region 
  between 
  Johns 
  Pass 
  and 
  Cedar 
  Keys, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  is 
  regarded 
  as 
  good 
  sponging-ground 
  if 
  not 
  too 
  closely 
  lished. 
  

   That 
  portion 
  off' 
  the 
  Anclote 
  Keys 
  would 
  be 
  particularly 
  i)roductive 
  if 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  recuperate. 
  It 
  is 
  believed 
  by 
  many 
  that 
  sponges 
  are 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  off 
  Egmont 
  Key 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  but 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  

   rarely 
  clear 
  enough 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  grounds 
  to 
  be 
  worked. 
  South 
  of 
  

   Tampa 
  Bay 
  commercial 
  sjjonges 
  do 
  not 
  occur 
  in 
  sufiQcieut 
  numbers 
  to 
  

   justify 
  the 
  working 
  of 
  this 
  ccast 
  until 
  after 
  passing 
  Cape 
  Sable. 
  

  

  The 
  Florida 
  Keys 
  grounds 
  extend 
  from 
  Key 
  West 
  eastward 
  and 
  

   northeastward 
  at 
  least 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Cape 
  Florida. 
  On 
  these 
  grounds 
  the 
  

   sponges 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  shallow 
  water 
  among 
  the 
  keys 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  

   reefs 
  in 
  all 
  suitable 
  places. 
  

  

  Good 
  grounds 
  are 
  about 
  the 
  Matecumbe 
  Keys, 
  Stirrup 
  Key, 
  Bahia 
  

   Honda, 
  and 
  Horseshoe 
  Cove. 
  The 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  Biscayne 
  Bay 
  is 
  an 
  

   excellent 
  si)onging-ground. 
  

  

  SPECIES. 
  

  

  The 
  commercial 
  sponges 
  of 
  Florida 
  are 
  regarded 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  five 
  

   different 
  species. 
  They 
  all 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Simngia., 
  and, 
  named 
  

   in 
  the 
  order 
  of 
  their 
  importance, 
  are 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  SheepsAATool 
  Sponge, 
  Spongia 
  equina 
  gJoKsmnna. 
  

  

  2. 
  The 
  Yellow 
  Sponge, 
  Sponyia 
  agaricina. 
  

  

  3. 
  The 
  Grass 
  Sponge, 
  Spongia 
  graminea. 
  

  

  4. 
  The 
  Velvet 
  Sponge, 
  !>ipongia 
  equina 
  mcandriniformia. 
  

  

  5. 
  The 
  Glove 
  Sponge, 
  Spongia 
  officinalis 
  tubulifera. 
  

  

  Several 
  varieties 
  of 
  these 
  sponges 
  have 
  ])een 
  described 
  and 
  numerous 
  

   grades 
  of 
  each 
  are 
  recognized 
  by 
  the 
  dealers. 
  

  

  