Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 73 minute and 1 x 68 minute dives in water depths from 15.5 m to 19.5 m. 8 m viz, 22 C water temp and some occasional surge.
We motored out to Clown Reef on the Gneering Shoals via Old Woman Island. The water was green at the island with quite a bit of swell so we went further offshore looking for blue water. We explored Clown Reef and the terrain to its north and compiled a reasonable list of species. Finds of note include Goniobranchus coi, Halgerda albocristata, Phyllodesmium hyalinum and a Phestilla or I should say a Tenellia that is undescribed and new to our list - Tenellia sp. 45. The flat-topped cerata are characteristic and it matches specimens seen previously by The Team at Milne Bay, in PNG.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires flores -/1
Ardeadoris sp. 2 4/1
Cadlinella ornatissima -/1
Chromodoris elisabethina 8/5
Chromodoris kuiteri 2/-
Chromodoris sp. 3 1/-
Chromodoris striatella 2/2
Chromodoris strigata 1/-
Cratena simba 1/-
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 17/5
Flabellina bicolor -/1
Glossodoris vespa 2/-
Goniobranchus coi 1/-
Goniobranchus decorus -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 5/3
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -/1
Halgerda albocristata -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 2/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/2
Hypselodoris maculosa -/1
Hypselodoris obscura 1/2
Mexichromis trilineata 1/2
Phyllidia elegans 1/1
Phyllidia varicosa 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 2/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/2
Phyllodesmium hyalinum -/1
Roboastra luteolineata 1/-
Tambja tenuilineata 1/-
Tenellia sp. 45 -/1 New species
Thuridilla carlsoni 1/2
Thuridilla splendens 1/2
Verconia decussata 1/-
Verconia simplex 1/1
All aboard
Surface conditions
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Phyllidiella lizae
Chromodoris sp. 3
Goniobranchus splendidus
Chromodoris strigata
Substrate
Ardeadoris sp. 2
Substrate
Goniobranchus coi
Glossodoris vespa
Thuridilla carlsoni
Gymnodoris sp. 10
Mexichromis trilineata - a pair
Phyllodesmium hyalinum
Thuridilla splendens
Phyllidia varicosa
Tenellia sp. 45 - new species
Flabellina bicolor
Cratena simba
Roboastra luteolineata
Halgerda albocristata
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Chromodoris elisabethina with
Chromodoris striatella
Chromodoris elisabethina
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Dense coral cover
Cadlinella ornatissima
Verconia decussata
Verconia simplex
Tambja tenuilineata
Chromodoris striatella
Chromodoris kuiteri
Goniobranchus decorus
Aegires flores
