Species List: Near Aladdin's Cave, eastern side Flinders Reef, off Cape Moreton, 06-10-2014

34 species sighted near Aladdin's Cave, eastern side of Flinders Reef, off Cape Moreton.

Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 88 minute & 1 x 83 minute dives in water depths of 10m to 15m. 21C water temp, 25m viz and some surge.

It has been well over 4 months since we last ventured out to Flinders Reef in Mischief. Surface conditions were great and whales were sighted to the left, whales were sighted to the right and dolphins up ahead. Highlights include the finding of the not-so-common species Glossodoris cincta, Phestilla melanobrachia, Favorinus sp. 2, and our latest new species: Hoplodoris sp. 2

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

Aegires flores 1/-
Bornella anguilla -/1
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 4/3
Chromodoris boucheti -/1
Chromodoris strigata -/1
Costasiella kuroshimae -/2
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
*Doriprismatica atromarginata 6/3
Elysia ornata -/1
Elysia sp. 5 2/-
Favorinus sp. 2 -/1
Flabellina bicolor -/1
Glossodoris cincta -/1
Goniobranchus decorus 1/-
Gymnodoris okinawae -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hoplodoris sp. 2 1/- (New species)
Hypselodoris maculosa 2/-
Hypselodoris maritima 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Phestilla melanobrachia 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/-
Pleurobranchus peronii 1/-
Protaeolidiella juliae -/1
Pteraeolidia ianthina -/1
Thorunna daniellae 1/-
Thuridilla cf. gracilis 1/1
Thuridilla neona 1/-
Thuridilla splendens -/1
Tylodina corticalis 1/-

Thuridilla cf. gracilis

Aegires flores

Tylodina corticalis

Glossodoris cincta

A rich and diverse substrate

Phyllidia ocellata

Hypselodoris maritima

Bornella anguilla

Chromodoris elisabethina

Dermatobranchus tuberculatus

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Looking south to the Cape

Looking east to the reef

Hypselodoris maculosa

Hexabranchus sanguineus - juvenile

Phestilla melanobrachia

Goniobranchus decorus

Hypselodoris obscura

Hoplodoris sp. 2 (New species)

Pleurobranchus peronii

Elysia sp. 5 - Juvenile

Thuridilla neona

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Thorunna daniellae

Chromodoris strigata

Elysia ornata

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Chromodoris boucheti

Favorinus sp. 2 

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Gymnodoris okinawae

Costasiella kuroshimae

Protaeolidiella juliae

Thuridilla splendens

Species List: DropOff, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 05-10-2014

34 species sighted at DropOff, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 76 minute & 1 x 70 minute dives in water depths of 14m to 19m. 22C water temp, 10m viz and some surge.

On our way to dive another site on Currimundi Reef we noticed the depth sounder show a sudden drop off and decided to check it out. The drop off turned out to be a bluff that fell away steeply into the sand. We came away with the feeling that considering the growth on the substrate we should have seen more species than we did so it came as somewhat of a surprise that the final count was as high as 34. Finds of interest included the rarely sighted dorid Goniobranchus leopardus and the stunning aeolid Babakina indopacifica.

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

Ardeadoris aff. averni 1/-
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/2
Babakina indopacifica 1/-
Berthella martensi 2/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus 1/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/6
Elysia sp. 5 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 2/-
Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus 3/-
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/-
Goniobranchus leopardus 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 4/3
Haminoea sp. 1 -/4
Hermaea sp. 2 -/2
Hermaea sp. 7 -/3
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/1
Hypselodoris obscura 2/2
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/1
Ilbia ilbi -/4
Nembrotha lineolata -/1
Nembrotha purpureolineata 1/-
Noumea norba -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 3/-
Phyllidiella lizae 2/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa -/3
Roboastra luteolineata -/1
Runcina sp. 2 -/2
Runcina sp. 5 -/1
*Sagaminopteron ornatum 6/3
Tambja tenuilineata 3/-
Tambja victoriae 1/1
Tritoniopsis alba 2/1
Tylodina corticalis 1/2

Surface conditions

Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Goniobranchus splendidus

Phyllidia ocellata

Hypselodoris obscura

Goniobranchus leopardus

Ardeadoris aff. averni

Phyllidiella lizae

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Ardeadoris rubroannulata

Nembrotha lineolata

Tritoniopsis alba

Hermaea sp. 7

Runcina sp. 2 

Runcina sp. 5 

Substrate

Surface conditions between dives

Berthella martensi

Roboastra luteolineata

Noumea norba

Glossodoris vespa

Goniobranchus geometricus

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Ardeadoris rubroannulata

Babakina indopacifica

Tambja tenuilineata

Elysia sp. 5 

Nembrotha purpureolineata

Tambja victoriae

Haminoea sp. 1

Ilbia ilbi