﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  2G7 
  

  

  SHEEPSWOOL 
  SPONGE. 
  

  

  The 
  slieepswool 
  spouge 
  is 
  found 
  at 
  various 
  places 
  along 
  the 
  Florida 
  

   coast 
  from 
  Apalachicola 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  to 
  Gai^e 
  Florida 
  and 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  

   Biscayne 
  Bay 
  on 
  the 
  east. 
  The 
  centers 
  of 
  greatest 
  abundance 
  are 
  near 
  

   Cedar 
  Keys 
  and 
  Anclote 
  Keys, 
  .though 
  the 
  entire 
  region 
  from 
  ofl" 
  St. 
  

   Marks 
  to 
  Charlotte 
  Harbor 
  produces 
  this 
  species. 
  This 
  is 
  commonly 
  

   called 
  "the 
  bay/' 
  and 
  sponges 
  from 
  here 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  "bay 
  sponges." 
  

  

  Below 
  Charlotte 
  Harbor 
  the 
  sheepswool 
  is 
  not 
  found 
  in 
  any 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  until 
  beyond 
  Key 
  West 
  among 
  the 
  Florida 
  Keys. 
  Important 
  

   grounds 
  are 
  about 
  Knight 
  Key, 
  Bahia 
  Honda, 
  Matecumbe, 
  and 
  in 
  

   Biscayne 
  Bay, 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  quality 
  of 
  sheepswool 
  sponges 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  Anclote 
  and 
  

   Eo(ik 
  Island 
  grounds. 
  These 
  are 
  regarded 
  by 
  many 
  as 
  the 
  best 
  of 
  

   all 
  sponges. 
  According 
  to 
  some, 
  the 
  key 
  sheepswool 
  were 
  formerly 
  

   regarded 
  as 
  the 
  best, 
  but 
  now 
  those 
  obtained 
  there 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  dete- 
  

   riorated 
  in 
  quality. 
  The 
  best 
  key 
  sponges 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  Matecumbe 
  Keys. 
  

  

  The 
  sheepswool 
  sponge 
  grows 
  upon 
  hard, 
  rocky, 
  or 
  barry 
  bottom 
  ; 
  in 
  

   the 
  shallower 
  water, 
  however, 
  it 
  is 
  frequently 
  found 
  on 
  grassy 
  bottom. 
  

   It 
  is 
  rarely 
  found 
  on 
  soft 
  mud 
  or 
  sandy 
  bottom, 
  and 
  appears 
  not 
  to 
  thrive 
  

   under 
  such 
  conditions. 
  The 
  hard, 
  rocky 
  bottom 
  is 
  usually, 
  perhaps 
  

   always, 
  of 
  coral 
  growth 
  or 
  origin. 
  

  

  The 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  sheepswool 
  sponges 
  now 
  obtained 
  are 
  secured 
  in 
  

   water 
  ranging 
  in 
  depth 
  from 
  30 
  to 
  50 
  feet. 
  Some 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  water 
  as 
  

   shallow 
  as 
  10 
  or 
  lli 
  feet, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  kept 
  pretty 
  closely 
  fished 
  out 
  in 
  

   these 
  shallow 
  depths. 
  Formerly 
  the 
  principal 
  and 
  best 
  grounds 
  were 
  in 
  

   shallow 
  water, 
  but 
  ft 
  is 
  now 
  found 
  necessary 
  to 
  resort 
  to 
  deeper 
  and 
  

   deeper 
  water 
  year 
  after 
  year. 
  

  

  Whether 
  the 
  sheepswool 
  sponge 
  grows 
  in 
  any 
  abundance 
  at 
  greater 
  

   depths 
  than 
  about 
  50 
  feet 
  is 
  not 
  definitely 
  known. 
  The 
  method 
  by 
  

   which 
  the 
  sponges 
  are 
  secured 
  is 
  such 
  as 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  applied 
  in 
  a 
  de])th 
  

   greater 
  than 
  50 
  feet. 
  The 
  inajority 
  of 
  the 
  spongers 
  believe, 
  however, 
  

   that 
  sponges 
  grow 
  in 
  abundance 
  beyond 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  50 
  feet. 
  On 
  the 
  

   other 
  hand, 
  some 
  think 
  that, 
  on 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast, 
  the 
  commercial 
  

   sponges 
  do 
  not 
  occur 
  in 
  any 
  numbers 
  at 
  greater 
  depths 
  than 
  50 
  or 
  (K) 
  

   feet. 
  It 
  is 
  held 
  by 
  these 
  that 
  in 
  deptlns 
  greater 
  than 
  this 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  

   chiefly 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  consecpiently 
  unsuited 
  to 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  sponges. 
  

   This 
  opinion 
  is 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  observed 
  fact 
  tliat 
  the 
  better 
  kinds 
  of 
  

   sponges, 
  while 
  doing 
  well 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  if 
  upon 
  rock 
  bottom, 
  do 
  not 
  

   thrive 
  upon 
  sand 
  bottom 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  depths, 
  and 
  the 
  further 
  fact 
  that 
  

   such 
  investigations 
  as 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  along 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  show 
  

   that 
  the 
  rock 
  bottom 
  ui)on 
  which 
  the 
  sponges 
  thrive 
  does 
  not 
  ordinarily 
  

   reach 
  greater 
  depths 
  than 
  GO 
  feet, 
  l)ut 
  that 
  beyond 
  that 
  depth 
  a 
  sand 
  or 
  

   mud 
  bottom 
  is 
  found. 
  SufBcient 
  experiments 
  in 
  securing 
  sponges 
  by 
  

   diving 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  throw 
  much 
  light 
  uimn 
  this 
  (lucstion. 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  J. 
  Arapian, 
  who 
  possesses 
  a. 
  wide 
  and 
  intinuite 
  

   acquaintance 
  with 
  all 
  tlie 
  important 
  sponging-grounds 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  

  

  