Species List: 23-04-2018, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

7 species sighted at, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 23-04-2018.

A single shore entry dive by Gary and David of 126 minutes. Maximum depth 6 m, 25 C water temperature and maximum 2 m viz that dropped to less than a metre at the turn of the tide.

The water temperature has dropped another half degree as autumn moves onward. The number of Goniodoridella sp. 1 sighted has plummeted.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata -1
Eubranchus sp. 10 -1
Flabellina rubrolineata -10
Goniobranchus daphne -6
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -16
Hypselodoris obscura -5
Pteraeolidia semperi -1

Flabellina rubrolineata

Searching for polyps

Pteraeolidia semperi

Cratena lineata

Goniodoridella sp. 1

The Fish Cage

Silty substrate

Eubranchus sp. 10

Hypselodoris obscura

Goniobranchus daphne

Species List: 18-04-2018, Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

8 species sighted at, Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 18-04-2018.

A single solo shore entry dive by Gary of 183 minutes. Maximum depth 6.4 m, 25 C water temperature and maximum 2-4 m viz.

Since all my dive buddies are busy doing other things I thought it would be nice to dive the river alone and I was not dissapointed. After spotting another Goniodoridella sp. 1 right next to it a Costasiella sp. 1. We're talking tiny!

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Costasiella sp. 1 1
Flabellina rubrolineata 8
Goniobranchus daphne 3
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 46
Hypselodoris obscura 8
Liloa sp. 2 1 shell
Pteraeolidia semperi 2
Verconia simplex 1

Entry point

Fish Cage

Hypselodoris obscura

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniobranchus daphne

Hypselodoris obscura

Liloa sp. 2 shell

Substrate

Hypselodoris obscura

Pteraeolidia semperi

Pteraeolidia semperi

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Flabellina rubrolineata

Costasiella sp. 1 and Goniodoridella sp. 1

Costasiella sp. 1

Costasiella sp. 1

Costasiella sp. 1

The Pipe

Verconia simplex

Verconia simplex

Species List: 16-04-2018, Coles Hole, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

24 species sighted at Coles Hole, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 16-04-2018

Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 70 minute and 1 x 74 minute dives in water depths from 16 m to 21 m. 8 m viz, 25 C water temp and some very light surge.

Coles Hole is located on the same part of the Gneering Shoals as Clown Reef where we dived two days previous. It surprised us that the visibility in that short time had dropped by a third. Nevertheless conditions were great although the finding of slugs was frustratingly slow at first. Some of the not-so-common finds included Crimora sp. 1, Glossodoris sp. 4, Marianina rosea and Verconia sp. 2.

# On both our last dive at Clown Reef and also during this dive we found specimens of Hypselodoris maculosa exhibiting a different looking dorsum. It has two distinctive broad longitudinal yellow stripes either side of a central white stripe. Whilst we recognize that this species has traditionally been considered highly variable there is also the possibility that cryptic species exist within all these variations. We will look to perhaps separating what we feel at this point may be different species just so we do not lose track of them.

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

Aegires citrinus -/2
Aegires flores 1/2
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 1/3
Chromodoris lochi -/1
Crimora sp. 1 -/1
Dermatobranchus rodmani 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata -/3
Facelina bourailli 2/-
Glossodoris sp. 4 -/1
Hypselodoris godeffroyana 1/-
# Hypselodoris maculosa -/1
Hypselodoris maritima -/1
Marianina rosea -/1
Mexichromis trilineata -/1
Phyllidia exquisita 1/-
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella annulata -/1
Phyllidella pustulosa 1/-
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum 1/-
Tenellia sp. 33 1/-
Thorunna halourga -/1
* Thuridilla splendens 3/4
Verconia sp. 2 1/-

Coles Hole

Substrate - lots of hard coral cover

Looking, looking, looking

Bulbaeolidia alba

Phyllidia exquisita

Sagaminopteron psychedelicum

Facelina bourailli

Aegires flores

Mexichromis trilineata

Crimora sp. 1

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Hypselodoris maritima with eggs

Marianina rosea

Chromodoris elisabethina

Thorunna halourga

Chromodoris lochi

Phyllidiella annulata

Surface conditions

Thuridilla splendens

Tenellia sp. 33

Verconia sp. 2

Hypselodoris godeffroyana

Glossodoris sp. 4 

Phyllidia varicosa

Aegires citrinus