Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Species List: 25-03-2025, Route 66 and back, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

 14 species sighted at Route 66 and back, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. 25-03-2025.

A single solo shore entry dive with Gary of 161 minutes, 1.2 m, maximum depth 4.9 m, 26 C water temperature, 2-4 m viz.

Inclement weather is predicted for the week so best to get in now! Silt was pretty heavy and on everything. WOW! This dive was epic. Easily over 300 Cratena pawarshindeorum were seen!! They were in almost every hydroid. So many grouped together. 3 species of Coryphellina were recorded as well. Wow just Wow!!

Species and numbers recorded:

Coryphellina aurora -2
Coryphellina lotos -17
Coryphellina pannae -2
Cratena lineata -12
Cratena pawarshindeorum -300++
Eubranchus sp. 10 -4
Goniobranchus daphne -5
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
Murphydoris cobbi -58
Murphydoris puncticulata -1
Rostanga sp. 1 -2
Tenellia sp. 23 -4
Unidentia sp. 1 -41
Unidentia sp. 14 -2

Entry

Clarity

Surface

Substrate upon descent

The last of the Fish Cage

Unidentia sp. 1

Substrate

Unidentia sp. 1

Unidentia sp. 1

Unidentia sp. 1 x2

Rostanga sp. 1 x2

Rostanga sp. 1

Rostanga sp. 1

Heavy silt

Unidentia sp. 1

Murphydoris cobbi

Murphydoris cobbi mating pair

Float

Murphydoris cobbi

Murphydoris cobbi x3

The Pipe

Tenellia sp. 23

Cratena pawarshindeorum

Cratena pawarshindeorum

Eubranchus sp. 10

Substrate

Cratena pawarshindeorum +

Coryphellina lotos and Cratena pawarshindeorum

Cratena pawarshindeorum

Cratena pawarshindeorum

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Cratena pawarshindeorum

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniobranchus daphne 

Cratena lineata

Coryphellina aurora

Coryphellina aurora

Cratena lineata 

Cratena pawarshindeorum 

Cratena lineata 

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Coryphellina lotos

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Cratena pawarshindeorum and Coryphellina lotos

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

The big healthy Gorgonian

Healthy Gorgonian

Gothum City

Cratena pawarshindeorum +

Coryphellina pannae x2

Stonie

Very small eel

Tenellia sp. 23

Murphydoris puncticulata

Substrate

Goniobranchus daphne

Coryphellina lotos

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Goniodoridella savignyi 

Seal Rock

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Substrate

Substrate

Eubranchus sp. 10

The Icon

Big Rock

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniobranchus daphne

Cratena pawarshindeorum +?

Cratena pawarshindeorum

Unidentia sp. 14 

Unknown Spawn