Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 92 minute and 1 x 77 minute dives in water depths of 14m to 17m. 8m viz, 20C water temp, very little surge.
Terry had expressed a desire to return to this site for a better survey. With the nasty swell of Friday having abated we ventured forth over the Caloundra Bar without incident and headed north up to Currimundi Reef. What a complete change in underwater conditions greeted us. The lack of surge made the dives much more comfortable and gave us a marked increase in the species count and their populations. The only disappointment was the lack of sacoglossans of any description. Not a single Thuridilla or Elysia in sight which we are unable to explain given the good coverage of many types of algae upon the substrate.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires villosus -/2
Ardeadoris aff. averni 3/3
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Bornella anguilla 1/-
Bulbaeolidia alba -/1
Cadlinella ornatissima 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 3/-
Chromodoris striatella 1/-
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus -/1
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 6/3
Flabellina bicolor -/1
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 1/4
Goniobranchus decorus 1/-
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/-
* Goniobranchus splendidus 9/5
Goniodoridella savignyi 1/-
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -/1
Hypselodoris bullockii 2/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 5/6
Hypselodoris sagamiensis -/1
Jorunna sp. 3 -/1
Noumea norba 1/2
Noumea romeri 2/-
Phyllidia ocellata 5/4
Phyllidia varicosa 1/2
Phyllidiella lizae 5/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 5/2
Phyllidiopsis burni -/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 7/6
Tylodina corticalis 1/-
Excellent surface conditions
Phyllidia varicosa
Dermatobranchus ornatus
Noumea norba
Goniobranchus geometricus
Phyllidia ocellata
Hypselodoris bullockii - a pair, tails up
heads down feeding
Ardeadoris rubroannulata
Chromodoris striatella
Tylodina corticalis
Abundant sessile life on the substrate
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Chromodoris elisabethina
Bornella anguilla
Cadlinella ornatissima
Phyllidiopsis burni
Gymnodoris sp. 10
Hypselodoris sagamiensis
Goniobranchus splendidus
Noumea romeri
Glossodoris vespa
Hypselodoris jacksoni - chowing down
on a sponge
Goniobranchus decorus
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus
Ardeadoris aff. averni
Aegires villosus - on its specific sponge food
Jorunna sp. 3