Monday, March 30, 2015

Species List: Bornella Reef, SE corner of Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 27-03-2015

18 species sighted at Bornella Reef, SE corner of Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 94 minute and 1 x 85 minute dives in water depths of 12m to 14m. 3m viz, 25C water temp, some surge.

Once again conditions were not the best which has been the story of our diving this summer. Regardless of conditions however we still enjoy the diving and wondering what we might find during our time below the surface. The recent and consistently large swells whilst welcomed by the surfing fraternity washes many of the sea slugs off their food and the visible substrate down into the clefts and crevices away from our prying eyes. There is a bubble shell - cephalaspidean - listed here as a Tornatina. We have recently been advised by Bob Burn that the name we had been using - Acteocina - applies to Atlantic species only whilst our finds here are of the Tornatina genus. Our website species list has been amended.

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


Atys semistriatus -/1
Atys sp. 2 -/1
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/1
Flabellina sp. 1 1/1
Glossodoris vespa 1/1
Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus 2/-
* Goniobranchus splendidus 2/8
Hypselodoris obscura -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 1/3
Phyllidia varicosa 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 1/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/1
Phyllidiopsis burni -/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/2
Thuridilla splendens 1/-
Tornatina sp. 4 -/1
Trinchesia ornata 2/1

Substrate 

Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus

Glossodoris vespa

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Thuridilla splendens

Phyllidia ocellata

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Atys semistriatus

Flabellina sp. 1 (similar to F. bicolor)

Trinchesia ornata

Phyllidiopsis burni

Goniobranchus splendidus

Atys sp. 2

Tornatina sp. 4