Species List: Cobb's, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 16/09/2014

30 species sighted at Cobb's, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 16/09/2014

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 83 minute and 1 x 73 minute dives in water depths of 14 to 18m. 21C water temperature, 12m viz and no surge.

The reasonable visibility experienced north of Mooloolaba of late gave us cause to hope that a similar situation would exist on Currimundi Reef so we agreed that diving on a little-visited site should be the aim. We failed to anchor directly over the chosen site and so for the first dive were in slightly deeper water. On the second dive Terry undertook a little exploration and managed to find the intended site and also as a consequence a lot more species to add to our count for the day.

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

Aplysia parvula 2/-
Ardeadoris aff. averni 2/2
Ardeadoris averni -/1
Ardeadoris rubroannulata -/1
Chelidonura inornata 1/-
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 2/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus 3/-
Dermatobranchus rodmani 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata -/4
Elysia maoria 1/1
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/-
Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus -/1
Goniobranchus daphne 4/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 1/2
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 3/2
* Hypselodoris obscura 3/4
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/-
Hypselodoris zephyra -/1
Lobiger souverbii -/3
Nembrotha lineolata -/1
Oxynoe viridis -/2
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/3
Pleurobranchus peronii 1/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/4
Tambja tenuilineata 2/-
Tambja victoriae 1/-
Tritoniopsis alba 1/-

Aplysia parvula

Goniobranchus daphne

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Tritoniopsis alba

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Ardeadoris averni

Elysia maoria

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Goniobranchus splendidus 

with the usual red blotches

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Phyllidiella lizae

Nembrotha lineolata

Lobiger souverbii

Hypselodoris obscura

Ardeadoris rubroannulata

Oxynoe viridis

Surface conditions

Pleurobranchus peronii - juvenile

Tambja victoriae

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Flabellina rubrolineata

Chelidonura inornata

Tambja tenuilineata

Phyllidia varicosa

Hypselodoris zephyra

Goniobranchus splendidus 

without any red blotches

Species List: The Wall, Old Woman Island, Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, 14-09-2014

30 species sighted at The Wall, Old Woman Island, Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 97 minute and 1 x 79 minute dives in depths from 5m to 15m. 20c water temp and 8m viz. Very slight surge on the bottom.

Our original intention of diving the rocky reef area to the NW of the island was thwarted by the NE swell which would have created uncomfortable surge on that shallow site. Diving The Wall to the SW offered a calmer option. Most of the usual suspects were sighted. The silty base of the wall was devoid of sea slugs but the jumbled boulders up on the slope hid many of the finds. Caulerpa racemosa was growing in abundance and harbouring the Oxynoidae species Lobiger souverbii and Oxynoe viridis with the former in the greater number.

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

Ardeadoris aff. averni 8/3
Ardeadoris electra 1/-
Atys sp. 2 1/-
Chelidonura hirundinina 1/-
Chromodoris burni 1/-
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/1
Chromodoris striatella 2/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 3/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 6/2
Glossodoris vespa -/2
Goniobranchus kuniei 2/-
Goniobranchus splendidus -/1
Halgerda cf. willeyi 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/2
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/1
Jorunna sp. 3 1/1
Lobiger souverbii 1/8
Oxynoe viridis 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 3/5
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/3
*Phyllidiella pustulosa 5/8
Phyllodesmium magnum -/1
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 2/-
Protaeolidiella juliae 1/-
Pteraeolidia ianthina 1/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum 1/4
Thuridilla splendens 2/2
Tritoniopsis alba 2/-

Chromodoris kuiteri

Protaeolidiella juliae

Tritoniopsis alba - juvenile

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Thuridilla splendens

Hypselodoris obscura

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Ardeadoris aff. averni - a congregation

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Oxynoe viridis

Phyllidiella lizae

Substrate - jumbled boulders making up the wall

Surface conditions

Atys sp. 2

Dermatobranchus cf. primus - with 

yellow oral veil margin

Dermatobranchus cf. primus - without 

yellow oral veil margin

Phyllodesmium sp. 2 - in its typical half-buried pose

Goniobranchus kuniei

Ardeadoris electra

Halgerda cf. willeyi

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Chromodoris burni

Jorunna sp. 3

Chelidonura hirundinina

Phyllidia varicosa

Lobiger souverbii