Species List: 15-08-2017, Hancock Shoal, off Mt Peregian (Emu Mountain), Sunshine Coast, Qld.

28 Species sighted at Hancock Shoal, off Mt Peregian (Emu Mountain), Sunshine Coast, Qld, 15-08-2017.

Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 85 minute and 1 x 75 minute dives in water depths from 10 m to 13 m. 20 m viz, 21 C water temp and some surge that gradually built during the second dive.

With a change coming through on Wednesday and expected to last until after the week-end we took advantage of the excellent conditions and motored a little further up the coast to the Hancock Shoal. Our last trip up here netted 51 species but we had 6 divers searching that time and overall we have noticed a downturn in the number of species this winter. Good finds included: Discodoris cebuensis, Discodoris coerulescens (only the 2nd sighting), Tenellia sp. 3 and Aplysia parvula.

Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count

Aplysia parvula 2/1
Ardeadoris sp. 2 2/3
Chromodoris  sp. 1 1/-
Discodoris cebuensis 1/-
Discodoris coerulescens 1/-
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 10/8
Flabellina sp. 1 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 2/3
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/-
Goniobranchus leopardus 2/3
* Goniobranchus splendidus 12/6
Gymnodoris alba 1/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/3
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/1
Hypselodoris maritima -/1
Hypselodoris obscura 7/5
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/-
Hypselodoris whitei 3/1
Miamira magnifica -/1
Phyllidia coelestis -/1
Phyllidia ocellata -/1
Phyllidia varicosa 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa -/1
Tenellia sp. 3 -/1
Thorunna daniellae 2/-
Thuridilla carlsoni -/1
Thuridilla splendens  2/2
Tritoniopsis elegans 3/-

Getting ship-shape

Tritoniopsis elegans - a feeding pair on soft coral

Thuridilla splendens

Discodoris coerulescens

Flabellina sp. 1

Thorunna daniellae

Goniobranchus geometricus

Discodoris cebuensis

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Hypselodoris whitei

Happy with their critter finds?

Emu Mountain - centre

Surface conditions

Miamira magnifica

Glossodoris vespa

Hypselodoris maritima

Aplysia parvula

Tenellia sp. 3

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Phyllidia coelestis 

Discodoris coerulescens

Aplysia parvula

Chromodoris  sp. 1

Goniobranchus leopardus - feeding 

on dark purple sponge

Hypselodoris obscura

Gymnodoris alba

Thuridilla carlsoni

Bommies

Ledges

Phyllidia varicosa

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Ardeadoris sp. 2

Hypselodoris whitei - a pair

Goniobranchus splendidus - orange colouration

Goniobranchus leopardus - a pair

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Discodoris coerulescens

Goniobranchus geometricus

Aplysia parvula

Hypselodoris obscura

Species List: 13-08-2017, Where's Dewley, Arkwright Shoals, off Yaroomba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

25 species sighted at Where's Dewley, Arkwright Shoals, off Yaroomba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 13-08-2017.

Julie, Terry, and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 101 minute and 1 x 85 minute dives in water depths from 9 m to 15 m. 20 m viz, 21 C water temp and some slight surge in the shallower parts.

Our run of great conditions continues to roll out so we headed up to the Arkwright Shoals to dive a site we call Where’s Dewley. Excellent terrain with ledges and many small boulders. The slugs were hard to spot at first but we soon found our groove and accumulated a reasonable tally. The Goniobranchus leopardus were a good find. We are of the opinion that the Marionia (found under a rock) is different from any other tritonid we have sighted thus far so have designated it Marionia sp. 2 - a new species for our Sunshine Coast list.

Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count

Aegires flores 1/-
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Ardeadoris sp. 2  3/2
Chromodoris sp. 1 -/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus 1/-
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 -/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata  27/23
Glossodoris vespa  6/3
Goniobranchus geometricus -/1
Goniobranchus leopardus 1/4
Goniobranchus splendidus  2/2
Gymnodoris alba  2/-
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/5
Hypselodoris maritima -/2
Hypselodoris obscura  6/3
Hypselodoris whitei -/1
Jorunna sp. 3 -/1
Marionia sp. 2 -/1 (New Species)
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 4/-
Pleurolidia juliae 2/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum 2/1
Thuridilla splendens 2/2
Tritoniopsis elegans 1/1

Substrate

Aegires flores

Glossodoris vespa

Ardeadoris sp. 2

Goniobranchus leopardus

Marionia sp. 2 - New Species

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Tritoniopsis elegans

Doriprismatica atromarginata - 

pervasive, ubiquitous, omnipresent

Gymnodoris alba

Hypselodoris maritima

Hypselodoris obscura

Chromodoris sp. 1

Thuridilla splendens

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Pleurolidia juliae

Goniobranchus splendidus

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Here's Dewley

Jorunna sp. 3

Dermatobranchus sp. 7