Species List The Trench 15m vis sunny day! 11-04-10

25 Species found

Aeolidiella alba
Chromodoris aff. africana
Chromodoris annae
Chromodoris cf. reticulata
Chromodoris elisabethina
Chromodoris kuiteri
Dermatobranchus ornatus
Dermatobranchus sp.1
Elysia verrucosa
Glossodoris atromarginata
Glossodoris aff averni
Glossodoris vespa
Halgerda willeyi
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Pectenodoris trilineata
Phyllidia elegans
Phyllidia exquisita (top photo)
Phyllidia ocellata
Phyllidiella lizae
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Phyllidiopsis burni (bottom photo)
Roboastra luteolineata
Thuridilla splendens
Trinchesia ornata

Center photo is David shooting a branch with his new Subal housing.

Species List Currimundi Reef - 27/03/10

A bit late getting these up. It was great to have a dive after such a long break and we were surprised by the relatively few species seen and the limited number of each species. The surprise was the number of Ceratosoma tenue. These are usually a relatively rare sighting for us but we came across 4-5 in the one dive.

C-Spot (10 species)

Ceratosoma tenue
Chromodoris collingwoodi
Dermatobranchus ornatus
Flabellina exoptata
Glossodoris atromarginata
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris kanga (see above)
Hypselodoris obscura
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Pteraeolidia ianthina

Forskalii Park (5 species)

Chromodoris splendida
Glossodoris atromarginata

Phyllidiella lizae
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Sagaminopteron ornatum

Species List 31-03-10 Flinders Reef area - off Cape Moreton

This mid-week excursion gave us 2 dives in the Flinders Reef area but only yielded a small number of sea slug sightings. Although it was high tide conditions were ideal with 20m viz and little current or surge. David M. took the opportunity to try out his new u/w photography combination: Nikon D300 in Subal Housing, and while pleased with the results realises there is a lot of fine tuning required. The new combo is not as adaptable to different shooting applications as the old system but will provide superior images for those premeditated situations.

Aegires citrinus
Chromodoris kuiteri
Chromodoris splendida
Hypselodoris bullockii (bottom pic)
Hypselodoris maculosa
Micromelo undata (middle pic)
Noumea romeri
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Thuridilla cf. gracilis (damaged specimen)(top pic)

Species List Shellacey Reef 10-15m viz

23 Species found

Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris whitei
Flabellina bicolor
Glossodoris rubroannulata
Aegires citrinus
Pectenodoris trilineata
Hypselodoris obscura
Chromodoris elisabethina eating (center photo)
Trinchesia ornata
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Glossodoris atromarginata
Trinchesia acinosa (bottom photo)
Phyllidia varicosa
Phyllidiella lizae
Chelidonura inornata
Chromodoris lochi
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Thuridilla splendens
Bornella anguilla
Tritoniopsis alba
Hypselodoris maculosa
Chromodoris splendida
Chromodoris kuiteri
*Bonus photo (top photo) What is it??

What Branch is it?

How to tell if it is a Janolus.

Our species list now contains two Janolus.

With a profusion of cerata on their dorsum Janolus could easily be mistaken for an aeolid, but in belonging to the Zephyrinidae family the Janolus are armininans not aeolids. Although having an aeolid-like form the most readily observable feature of distinction is that in the Janolus the cerata continue uninterrupted around the anterior margin of the head, a feature no aeolid possesses (refer pic above, from The Collection). A further helpful attribute of distinction is the location of the anal papilla. In Janolus it is located on the dorsal midline posteriorly (see Erik Schlogl's message at www.seaslugforum.net/message/19798 ), whereas in the aeolids it opens to the right anterior quarter usually on the side. Whilst the rhinophores are non-retractile in both the Janolus and the aeolids, the Janolus possess a distinctive ridge between the rhinophores at their bases. This longitudinal ridge is called a caruncle and its purpose is unknown, although some have variously suggested it performs a sensory or defensive purpose.

Costasiella kuroshimae

Costasiella kuroshimae Ichikawa, 1993 has been found by us at two sites now, off Shelly's Beach Caloundra and at Flinders Reef off Cape Moreton. The specimens from Flinders Reef present with a significant and distinctive white spot on the anterior face of all the cerata, towards the tip but below the orange band (Bottom photo). The Shelly's Beach specimens, on the other hand, do not seem to possess this spot, at least not of a noteworthy size (Top photo). We will need to find more examples at different sites to draw any conclusions about this as it is considered a highly variable species in colour.

What Branch is it?

418th Species found on HMAS Brisbane!

Samual LeNoble sent this photo to us from a dive on the HMAS Brisbane in November 2009. It is Janolus sp. 1 50 mm long.

Species List 27-02-10 - Kings Beach Intertidal

Lots of wind and rain so turned over a few rocks.

Dolabrifera dolabrifera
Herviella claror (photo above)

Species List 24-02-10 Flinders Reef - Moreton Island

16 found. 30m viz

Berthella martensi
Berthellina citrina
Chromodoris cf. reticulata
Chromodoris elisabethina
Chromodoris splendida
Costasiella kuroshimae (fourth photo)
Cyerce nigricans (Our 417th Species!)(bottom photo)
Dermatobranchus sp.2
Dermatobranchus sp.3
Elysia verrucosa
Halgerda willeyi
Hypselodoris bullockii
Hypselodoris whitei
Noumea simplex
Polybranchia orientalis (second photo)
Thuridilla splendens

Species List Moreton Island, Flinders Reef

16 Species found
30m viz and glass!

Berthella martensi
Berthellina citrina
Chromodoris cf. reticulata
Chromodoris elisabethina
Chromodoris splendida
Costasiella kuroshimae (4th photo)
Cyerce nigricans Our 417th Species! (bottom photo)
Dermatobranchus sp.2
Dermatobranchus sp.3
Elysia verrucosa
Halgerda willeyi
Hypselodoris bullockii
Hypselodoris whitei
Noumea simplex
Polybranchia orientalis (top photo)
Thuridilla splendens

What Branch is it?

Species List – Currimundi Reef 13/14 -02-2010

18 species found 10m vis.

The Caloundra team finally managed to get our boat back on the water at the weekend after rebuilding the trailer. While it was great to be diving from our own boat again, we were a little disappointed at not being able to add anything new to the species list – but, there is always the next dive!

13/2/10 – C Spot Currimundi

Ceratosoma tenue
Chromodoris cf. reticulata
Glossodoris aff. averni
Glossodoris atromarginata
Glossodoris vespa
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris obscura
Nembrotha purpureolineata
Phyllidia ocellata
Phyllidiella lizae
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Roboastra luteolineata

13/02/10 – Prock Currimundi

Chromodoris splendida
Glossodoris atromarginata
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris obscura
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Sagaminopteron ornatum

14/02/10 – TJs Boulders

Chelidonura inornata (above)
Chromodoris kuiteri
Chromodoris splendida
Glossodoris atromarginata
Glossodoris vespa
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Mexichromis festiva
Phyllidia ocellata
Phyllidiella lizae
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Pteraeolidia ianthina
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Tritoniopsis alba

14/02/10 – Prock Currimundi

Chelidonura inornata
Glossodoris atromarginata
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris obscura
Phyllidia ocellata
Phyllidiella lizae
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Tritoniopsis alba

Species List Shellacey Reef 13-02-10

27 Species found 20m vis

Aegires citrinus
Aegires flores
Chelidonura fulvipuntata
Chelidonura inornata
Chromodoris elisabethina
Chromodoris kuiteri
Chromodoris splendida
Dermatobranchus sp.1
Dermatobranchus sp.2
Glossodoris aff. averni
Glossodoris atromarginata
Glossodoris vespa
Halgerda tessellata
Halgerda willeyi
Hexabranchus sanguineus (bottom photo)
Hypselodoris kanga - Our 416th species!(top photo)
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris whitei
Pectenodoris trilineata
Phyllidia exquisita (center photo)
Phyllidia picta
Phyllidia varicosa
Phyllidiella lizae
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Roboastra luteolineata
Thuridilla splendens
Tritonia sp.1

Species List Coles Hole 06-02-10

9 Species found and alot of surge! Glassy conditions topside!

Chromodoris elisabethina
Dendrodoris fumata (3rd photo)
Glossodoris atromarginata
Glossodoris vespa
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Pectenodoris trilineata
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Thuridilla splendens
Tritoniopsis alba (2nd photo)

David (1st photo), Gary (4th photo)

Species List Shelley Beach 24-01-10

10 Species found

Bornella anguilla
Costasiella kuroshimae (above bottom) This is our 413th species! 5 mm long
Glossodoris atromarginata
Marionia cyanobranchiata
Mexichromis festiva
Pectenodoris trilineata
Phyllodesmium colemani (above top) many found!
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Tritoniopsis alba

Species List Flinders Reef Moreton Island 23-01-10

12 Species found

Chelidonura inornata
Chromodoris burni
Chromodoris splendida
Chromodoris strigata(above bottom)
Cratena lineata
Cratena simaba
Dermatobranchus sp.1
Dermatobranchus sp.2
Durvilledoris pusilla
Flabellina rubrolineata
Hypselodoris maritima
Moridilla brockii (above top)

Shark - what shark?????

Species List from Wolf Rock 16/17-01-10

12 Species found

Chromodoris cf. reticulata (above)
Chromodoris conchyliata
Chromodoris geometrica
Chromodoris splendida
Flabellina rubrolineata
Glossodoris rubroannulata
Goniodoridella savignyi
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Hypselodoris obscura
Hypselodoris whitei
Hypselodoris zephyra
Roboastra luteolineata
Plus numerous Nurse Sharks (above)
they did not hinder my search...
Photos Terry Farr