Sunday, September 24, 2017

Species List: 23-09-2017, King’s Beach Ramp (subtidal), Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

11 species sighted at King’s Beach Ramp (subtidal), Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 23-09-2017.

A single shore entry dive by Julie, Terry, and David of 109 minutes. Maximum depth 5.7 m, 21 C water temperature and up to 6m viz.

We were blessed with excellent surface conditions although we had some surge and lots of waving aspagopsis weed to contend with. Many of our finds had their heads buried in the substrate so some of our photos show the back end only of feeding sea slugs. Worth mentioning are the two different presentations of  Aplysia parvula, in close proximity to each other - the white speckled form and the plainly coloured form. The brownish/khaki colour is due to their diet. Also, although not the largest recorded they are the largest we have seen, at 50 mm +, on the Sunshine Coast. The specimens of Tritoniopsis elegans exhibited an orange tinge to their mantle. Gymnodoris okinawae is an uncommon find.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Aplysia argus -1
Aplysia parvula -4
Ardeadoris sp. 2 -1
Doriprismatica atromarginata -5
Goniobranchus daphne -1
Goniobranchus splendidus -4
Gymnodoris okinawae -1
* Hypselodoris obscura -13
Mexichromis festiva -1
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 -1
Tritoniopsis elegans -7

Mexichromis festiva

Aplysia argus

Phyllodesmium sp. 2

Gymnodoris okinawae

Tritoniopsis elegans - with orange tint

Goniobranchus splendidus

Aplysia parvula - plainly coloured

Aplysia parvula - a pair concealed in the growth
 - with white speckling

Hypselodoris obscura

Ardeadoris sp. 2