ae REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
EASTERN Oyster, GROWTH AND ENEMIES 
360. ‘Jingle’? cultch. Planted to catch young oysters. 
361. Broken-stone cultch. Planted to catch young oysters. 
362. Fresh-water clams. Used as cultch to catch young oysters. 
363. Eastern oyster three or four weeks old on planted oyster shells. Long Island 
Sound 
rol . 
364. Eastern oyster. Less than six weeks old, on planted oyster shells. Louisiana. 
365. Eastern oyster. Two months old, on planted stone. Long Island Sound. 
366. Eastern oyster. Less than one year old. South Carolina. 
367. Eastern oyster. One year old. Hard bottom. Connecticut. 
368. Eastern oyster. Two years old. Hard bottom. Connecticut. 
369. Eastern oyster. Three years old. Hard bottom. Connecticut, 
370. Eastern oyster. Four years old. Hard bottom. Connecticut. 
371. Eastern oyster. Five years old. Hard bottom. Connecticut. 
372. Eastern oyster. Six years old. Hard bottom. Connecticut. 
373. Eastern oyster. One year old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
374. Eastern oyster. Two vears old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
375. Eastern oyster. Three years old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
376. Eastern oyster. Four years old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
377. Eastern oyster. Five years old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
378, Eastern oyster. Six years old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
379. Eastern oyster. Sixteen years old. Soft bottom. Connecticut. 
380. Eastern oyster. Shells corroded by boring sponge, showing on the inside face 
the new shell deposited by the oyster to cover up the perforations. 
381. Shells overgrown with calcareous tubes of worm Serpula, which sometimes grow 
so densely as to kill or injure clusters of oysters by preventing their opening 
their shells. 
382. Common starfish (Asterias forbesii). A very destructive enemy of the oyster in 
Long Island Sound. 
383. Common starfish ( Asterias forbesii). Position commonly assumed when feeding. 
It turns the stomach inside out and projects it through its mouth and around 
its food. When satisfied its stomach is returned to its proper place. 
384. Common starfish. Taken in the act of feeding on oysters. The starfish 
wrenches upon the oyster by a long, steady pull, and then inserts its stomach 
between the valves as e xplained above and absorbs the contents. 
385. Oyster drill. Very destructive to oysters on certain parts of the Atlantic coast. 
By means of a rasp-like tongue it drills a hole in the shell, through which it 
feeds on the soft parts of the oyster. It has untortunately been introduced 
with Eastern oysters in San Francisco Bay. 
386. Eastern oysters. Shells bored by drills. 
387. Conch or ‘‘winkle’’ and egg cases ( Pulgur carica). Oyster enemy. Not very 
destructive. 
388. Conch or ‘‘winkle”’ and ege cases, (Sycotypus canaliculatus). Oyster enemy. 
Not very destructive. 
389. Eastern oyster. Cluster to show how the oysters are crowded by barnacles 
and mussels. 
390. Eastern oyster. Showing overgrowth of barnacles. 
SPONGES. 
Of the fishery products not used for food the sponges rank among the most 
important, being extensively employed for various purposes in all civilized and many 
barbarous countries. Florida is the only State on whose shores commercial sponges 
are found. They are there taken in water ranging from a few feet to 50 feet in 
depth, and occur in abundance throughout the Florida reefs and keys and on the 
western coast as far north as St. Marks. The annual value of the Florida sponge 
fishery is from $500,000 to $600,000, representing upward of 400,000 pounds of dry 
sponges. 
When first taken from the water the meshes of the sponges are filled with a pulpy 
mass, and the external surface is covered with a skin perforated for the currents of 
water, on which the animal depends for its food and growth. Several natural sponges 
are show n, preserved in alcohol. 
The kinds of sponges recognized in the local sponge fishery and trade are sheeps- 
wool, yellow, velvet, grass, and glove. The sheepswool, which is found among the 
Florida Keys and in the Gulf of Mexico, is the best grade of sponge, exceeding in 
value all others combined. It is used fora great variety of domestic and other pur- 
poses, and is the leading bath and toilet sponge. The average wholesale price per 
pound received by the fishermen is $2.50 to $2.75. The yellow sponge, of which the 
