Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 08-01-2015

16 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this 138 minute single shore-entry dive in depths to 6.1m. 27C water temp and 3m viz.

The water is very warm now allowing for long dives but the viz is dropping off. The Dermatobranchus that we are finding here continue to puzzle us somewhat with yet another different/new species turning up. This time Dermatobranchus funiculus was found the ID being confirmed by Terry Gosliner one of the original authors of its description in 2011.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Dermatobranchus cf. primus -8
Dermatobranchus funiculus -1 (New species)
Facelina sp. 3 -1
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -1
* Goniobranchus daphne -11
Goniobranchus decorus -2
Goniobranchus verrieri -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -2
Hypselodoris obscura -9
Jorunna sp. 3 -1
Phidiana bourailli -2
Philinopsis falciphallus -2
Phyllodesmium opalescens - 1
Pleurobranchus weberi -2
Pteraeolidia ianthina -4
Unidentia angelvaldesi -1

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Phyllodesmium opalescens

Goniobranchus collingwoodi

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniobranchus decorus

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Unidentia angelvaldesi

Jorunna sp. 3

Dermatobranchus funiculus (New species)

Dermatobranchus funiculus

Dermatobranchus funiculus

Goniobranchus collingwoodi - detail of head

Goniobranchus verrieri

Phidiana bourailli

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Facelina sp. 3

Hypselodoris obscura

Pleurobranchus weberi

Philinopsis falciphallus

Species List: HMAS Brisbane, off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, 30-12-2014

8 species sighted on the former HMAS Brisbane (wreck) off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast.

David on this excursion (buddied with Marina Goymer) consisting of 2 x 55 minute dives with Sunreef Scuba Diving Services of Mooloolaba from their vessel 4 Shore. Depths from 12 m to 21m, 25C water temp, 10m viz and no surge.

With my regular dive buddies enjoying the delights of Nelson Bay, NSW I decided this would be a good chance to check out the sea slugs on HMAS Brisbane. It has been some time since my last dive there. Although the species count was low it was not from lack of effort. Marina proved an excellent buddy being like-minded in preferring to take the time to find and photograph the smaller critters.

No surface or substrate shots - oops!

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

Cratena lineata 1/-
* Gonibranchus splendidus 4/-
Hoplodoris nodulosa -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura -/2
Hypselodoris sp. 2 -/1
Roboastra luteolineata 1/1
Tylodina corticalis -/1

Roboastra luteolineata

 Gonibranchus splendidus

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Cratena lineata

Tylodina corticalis

Hoplodoris nodulosa

Hypselodoris sp. 2

Hypselodoris obscura

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 20-12-2014

16 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this 115 minute single shore-entry dive in depths to 6.6m. 25C water temp and 5m viz.

An early morning dive. We are out of our dry suits now. A remarkable dive in that we found three specimens that we have decided to call sp.'s because we have not been able to match them sufficiently to existing species.

The small Siphopteron sp. 1 is a an exquisite headshield slug. At 2mm we have considered the possibility it may be a juvenile of Siphopteron tigrinum but some features are not similar so we will leave it separated at present.

We think there are a number of cryptic species currently lumped under Gymnodoris alba so we'll leave those alone for now because we are anticipating a paper being published soon on the Gymnodorididae and can hardly wait until then. However there was a definite discrete new species sighted on this dive - Gymnodoris sp. 9.

This brings us to the new Dermatobranchus. Dermatobranchus sp. 6 has distinct ridges (far more than described for D. rodmani) together with pink pustules on the mantle edge whilst in the second photo  a vivid red edge with submarginal yellow to the oral veil is shown. It is most similar to Dermatobranchus funiculus but does not match that description in its entirety.

We have decided to be wary of lumping together specimens with some similarities but also definite differences because by keeping them separate they will not be lost for future investigation. For far too long the term highly variable has been bandied about. Who is to know for sure which features are highly variable until precise examination has been undertaken. In fact, recent DNA investigations combined with a broader study of internal anatomy have found cryptic species among a number of species across the sea slug orders.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bulbaeolidia alba -2
Dermatobranchus cf. primus -10
Dermatobranchus sp. 6 -2 (new species)
Facelina sp. 7 -1
* Goniobranchus daphne -20
Goniobranchus decorus -1
Gymnodoris alba -5
Gymnodoris sp. 1 -1
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -1 (new species)
Hydatina physis -1
Hypselodoris obscura -5
Phidiana bourailli -1
Philinopsis pilsbryi -1
Pteraeolidia ianthina -5
Siphopteron sp. 1 -1 (new species)
Unidentia angelvaldesi -3

Preparing for immersion

Substrate

Bulbaeolidia alba

Goniobranchus decorus

Philinopsis pilsbryi 

Scooting around in broad daylight

Hydatina physis - appears to have been 

cracked open by a crab perhaps.

Facelina sp. 7

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Goniobranchus daphne

Dermatobranchus sp. 6 (New species)

Dermatobranchus sp. 6 (New species) 

Note colour of oral veil

Goniobranchus daphne - a mating pair

Hypselodoris obscura

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Unidentia angelvaldesi

Gymnodoris alba

Gymnodoris sp. 1

Gymnodoris sp. 9 (New species)

Siphopteron sp. 1 (New species)

Siphopteron sp. 1

Species List: Castle Rock, Bicheno, Tasmania 24, 25, 26-11-2014

9 species were found and 7 new species were added to the big Tasmania list over the 3 days diving with David. We chartered the boat at Bicheno Dive and was treated with great nudibranch dive time. 14C water temp, light winds, 15m vis, average dive 1 hour.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cadlina tasmanica  1

Caldukia affinis  10

Ceratosoma amoenum  2

Ceratosoma brevicaudatum  1

Colpodaspis sp. 1  1

Flabellina poenicia  1

Janolus eximius  1

*Polycera janjukia  12

Tularia bractea  8

David ready to go at Govenors Island boat ramp

David falling down the canyon

The substrate

Colpodaspis sp. 1

Polycera janjukia

Janolus eximius thought to endemic to NZ

Caldukia affinis

Ceratosoma brevicaudatum

Cadlina tasmanica

Polycera janjukia

Tularia bractea