for spicule types and similar factors as described by De Laubenfels 

 (1953) might reveal important differences under high magnification, 

 but such an examination is not practical for commercial identification. 

 The differences in wool-type sponges, easily detected by one skilled 

 in grading, are difficult to describe in terms other than the ones 

 used above. 



Florida Yellow 



The Florida Yellow sponge (figure 6) possesses a reddish-yellow 

 to reddish-brown color that ranges between the yellow of the Mediter- 

 ranean sponges and the leather-to-gray color of the Rock Island sponge< 

 The darker red-brown inside is quite characteristic and uniform. The 

 scientific name is Spongia zimocca or barbara, and it belongs to the 

 Keratosa order. Alive, it is drab to black, with many small holes. 

 These holes may protrude as volcanoes, which are not large in the 

 cleaned sponge. The Florida Yellow sponges are much stiff er both 

 wet and dry, than are other sponges except the Grass sponges. The 

 Florida Yellow sponge is highly elastic and regains its shape instant- 

 ly. It has high water-holding power, contrary to popular opinion, but 

 it does not release water easily, owing to its stiffness. A Yellow 

 sponge can be distinguished 

 easily from a Grass sponge 

 by tipping the wet and drained 

 sponge. Much extra water will 

 drain from a Grass sponge be- 

 cause of its preponderance of 

 large channels running in one 

 direction. The Florida Yellow 

 sponge, under a lens, resembles 

 a Grass sponge in that its 

 parallel fibers are larger than 

 are the cross fibers j but the 

 Florida Yellow sponge has a 

 greater proportion of cross 

 fibers, and these cross fibers 

 are not so nearly perpendicular 

 to the vertical fibers as they 

 are in the Grass sponges. 



Any sponge that is rela- 

 tively stiff, both wet and dry, 

 has a red-brown interior, and 



splits fairly easily from the top down when pulled apart with the 

 fingers is probably a Florida Yellow sponge. No sponge described by 

 Stuart (Series No. 82) appears to be this sponge. 



Anclote Grass and Hudson Grass 



Figure 6«— Florida Telloir 



5 sponge ( Spongia graminea ) (figure 7) is sold 

 3," since it grows in the shape of a vase, which 



The Anclote Grass 

 almost always as "cuts, 



is not so much in demand as is the spherical shape. Alive, it is 

 drab to black, but the cleaned sponge is pale yellow to dark brown* 



11 



