Monday, February 12, 2018

Species List: 10-02-2018 at Big Frog and TJs Boulders, Currimundi, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

19 species sighted at Big Frog and TJ's Boulders, Currimundi, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 10/02/2018

Julie, Terry, and David on this excursion consisting of 2 dives:
The first dive x 60 minutes out wide at Big Frog (near C Spot) in water depths from 18 m to 20 m, 12 m viz, 26 C water temp and some surge.
The second dive x 72 minutes at TJ’s Boulders in water depths from 16 m to 20 m, 3 m viz, 26 C water temp and some surge.

Surface conditions were good and improved as the morning progressed. By the end of the 2nd dive though, the sea breeze had come in and served to push us home. We were somewhat disappointed at the slugs on offer. The big seas of the past week have no doubt contributed to their paucity. Whilst the visibility at Big Frog was fine, TJ’s Boulders can have low visibility at times and so it was this trip - might have become disoriented without the dive reel. Generally just the usual suspects sighted except for the small specimen of Hypselodoris apolegma.

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

Chromodoris kuiteri 1/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/1
Flabellina exoptata 1/-
* Flabellina rubrolineata 4/2
Flabellina sp. 1 1/4
Goniobranchus geometricus 2/-
Goniobranchus splendidus -/3
Hypselodoris apolegma 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni -/1
Hypselodoris zephyra 1/-
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/2
Phyllidiella lizae 1/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/1
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/-
Pleurolidia juliae -/1
Pteraeolidia semperi -/2
Tenellia sibogae -/1

Flabellina exoptata feeding 
on hydroid polyps

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Phyllidia ocellata

Flabellina sp. 1

Flabellina sp. 1 showing habitat

Pteraeolidia semperi

Looking south towards Moffat Headland 
and Point Wickham

Looking north towards Point Cartwright

Gearing up for the 2nd dive

Phyllidiopsis burni

Hypselodoris zephyra

Substrate at Big Frog

Goniobranchus geometricus

Jorunna sp. 3

Hypselodoris apolegma

Flabellina rubrolineata

Chromodoris kuiteri

Pleurolidia juliae

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Tenellia sibogae

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Flabellina sp. 1