Thursday, August 23, 2018

Species List: 22-08-2018, The Dropoff, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Qld

27 species sighted at The Dropoff, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 22-08-2018.

David, Terry and Gary on this excursion consisting of 1 x 79 minute and 1 x 73 minute dives in water depths up to 18.9 m, up to 5 m viz, 20 C water temp and surge.

The trip out to the dive site was glassy and blue, on the bottom a different story. Viz to a maximum of 5 m and surge made searching a challenge. In spite of that we managed to find 27 species. The highlights were finding Chromodoris burni (blue colourform) and a very large Pleurobranchus peronii and Goniobranchus sp. 6.

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

Bulbaeolidia alba 1/3
Chromodoris burni -/1
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 5/3
Glossodoris rufomarginata 2/-
Glossodoris vespa 2/1
Goniobranchus albonares 1/-
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/2
Goniobranchus sp. 6 -/1
* Goniobranchus splendidus 9/12
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 8/7
Hypselodoris obscura 3/2
Pleurobranchus peronii 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 2/3
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/3
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/3
Tambja morosa 1/-
Tambja tenuilineata 1/-
Tritoniopsis elegans 1/3
Tyrannodoris luteolineata 4/2
Verconia decussata 1/-
Verconia laboutei 1/-
Verconia norba 1/-
Verconia sp. 2 1/-

Surface conditions

Substrate

Verconia decussata

Tritoniopsis elegans juvenile

Phyllidia ocellata

Pleurobranchus peronii

Glossodoris vespa

Verconia norba

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Goniobranchus splendidus

Glossodoris rufomarginata

Chromodoris burni

Goniobranchus geometricus

Chromodoris kuiteri

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Hypselodoris jacksoni very dark colourform

Our ride

Using a reel to find our way back

Hypselodoris obscura pair

Bulbaeolidia alba

Phyllidiella pustulosa 

Goniobranchus geometricus crawling

Goniobranchus sp. 6 with damage

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Tyrannodoris luteolineata

Verconia sp. 2

Flabellina rubrolineata

Tritoniopsis elegans trio eating

Tritoniopsis elegans trio eating

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Bulbaeolidia alba

Goniobranchus albonares

Verconia decussata