Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 99 minute and 1x 92 minute dives in water depths of 15m to 17m. 10m viz, 25C water temp, and no surge.
Whilst the visibility has fallen away slightly the number and variety of sea slugs continues to provide hours of underwater entertainment. We spent most of our time on the reef tops and next time we return will examine the deeper areas and clefts down to 20m. We have found our 563rd species - an aeolid with some similarity to, but different from, Trinchesia ornata, that we have called Trinchesia sp. 22. An unusual colour form of Flabellina rubrolineata was also sighted and it acted differently by being half buried in the substrate and with inflated cerata.
Number of species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires flores 4/2
Ardeadoris electra 1/-
Berthella martensi -/1
Bornella anguilla 3/1
Chromodoris elisabethina 1/1
Chromodoris splendida 2/4
Cratena simba 1/1
Dendrodoris denisoni 1/-
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus 2/5
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 14/7
Elysia maoria -/1
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/1
Glossodoris vespa 2/4
Goniobranchus decorus 1/-
Goniobranchus verrieri -/1
Gymnodoris alba 2/-
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hoplodoris nodulosa 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 3/1
Hypselodoris maritima 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura -/1
Jorunna sp. 4 1/-
Mexichromis festiva 1/1
Noumea simplex -/1
Phyllidia elegans 1/3
Phyllidia picta -/2
Phyllidiella lizae 1/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/3
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/1
Phyllodesmium magnum 1/-
Pteraeolidia ianthina 2/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 6/3
Trinchesia ornata 2/-
Trinchesia sp. 3 2/1
Trinchesia sp. 10 1/-
Trinchesia sp. 22 -/1 (our 563rd species)
Tritoniopsis alba 2/1
Marvellous surface conditions
Jorunna sp. 4
Hypselodoris jacksoni - mating pair
Trinchesia sp. 10
Trinchesia ornata - typical
Trinchesia sp. 3
Chromodoris splendida
Dermatobranchus rodmani - juvenile
Phyllidia picta
Glossodoris vespa
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus
Hypselodoris obscura
Noumea simplex
Dermatobranchus ornatus
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Hypselodoris maritima
Hoplodoris nodulosa
Aegires flores
Gymnodoris alba
Chromodoris elisabethina
Phyllodesmium magnum
Mexichromis festiva
Goniobranchus decorus
Dermatobranchus cf. primus
Bornella anguilla
Berthella martensi - dark colour form
Trinchesia sp. 22 - new species (#563)
Trinchesia sp. 22 - in the lab
Goniobranchus verrieri
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Cratena simba
Elysia maoria
Flabellina rubrolineata - typical
Flabellina rubrolineata - unusual colour form
and presentation
Flabellina rubrolineata- unusual
colour form - in the lab
