Species List: Bornella Reef, SE corner Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast, 11-07-2015

22 species sighted at Bornella Reef, SE corner Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 83 minute and 1 x 85 minute dives in water depths of 11 m to 14 m. 6 m viz, 18 C water temp and some surge. We all agreed that the drysuit is the best invention ever.

Once more the island beckoned. With the NW wind forecast to strengthen we opted to dive on the SE corner at a site we call Bornella Reef. Whilst there were hydroids present alas the Bornella specimens that gave their name to the site were not. Two specimens of Tambja victoriae were sighted one of which at 60 mm was amongst the largest we have observed in these waters. Favorinus sp. 1 popped up again. It has been placed in this genus for the sole reason that the rhinophores have cup-shaped annulations but the cerata do not seem typical.

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

Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Cadlinella ornatissima -/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/-
Favorinus sp. 1 1/-
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/1
Flabellina sp. 1 1/2
Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus -/1
Goniobranchus daphne 1/-
* Goniobranchus splendidus 7/9
Goniodoridella savignyi -/2
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/1
Hypselodoris obscura -/2
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Phyllidia exquisita -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 1/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/-
* Pteraeolidia ianthina 14/2
Roboastra luteolineata -/1
Tambja victoriae  -/2
Thuridilla splendens 1/2
Trinchesia ornata -/1
Trinchesia sibogae 1/-

Surface conditions at the island

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Phyllidia exquisita - or is it?

Yes! Note the gold edge to the mantle margin

Tambja victoriae

Healthy substrate

Goniobranchus splendidus - hard to believe 

they could match the Pteraeolidia ianthina in numbers

Hypselodoris obscura

Cadlinella ornatissima

Favorinus sp. 1

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Goniobranchus daphne

Pteraeolidia ianthina - numbers were 

higher on the one side of of the reef finger

Trinchesia ornata

Roboastra luteolineata

Goniodoridella savignyi

Thuridilla splendens

Flabellina sp. 1

Species List: Dropoff, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 02-07-2015

26 species sighted at Dropoff, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 70 minute and 1 x 73 minute dives in water depths of 14 m to 20 m. 12 m viz, 20 C water temp and no surge.

As better conditions return to the Sunshine Coast so we are seeing an increase in the
diversity and populations of the sea slugs. Dropoff is a site we have only dived twice before. There is a large "bluff" at the north-west corner of the plateau in this section of reef. We don't think we were right on the mark this time but the various terraces still held plenty of interesting growth and critters. They seemed to improve in variety and coverage the shallower we went which also meant we were moving away from the sandy substrate along the edge at the deepest part. The proximity of the sand there would affect sessile growth through smothering and abrasion in times of surge.

Take a moment to compare the differences between two specimens of Flabellina rubrolineata in the images below. Also compare the two different juvenile specimens of Hypselodoris jacksoni. Although both are the same size, one (in situ image) has all the features that allow us to recognise it as such whereas the other (microscope image) lacks the orange mantle margin, has a plain tail and exhibits a blue crescent anteriorly that has never been present in any specimens we have observed before, either juvenile or adult.

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

Ardeadoris aff. averni -/3
Cadlinella ornatissima 1/-
Chromodoris striatella 1/-
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 1/-
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/1
Glossodoris vespa -/1
Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus -/1
Goniobranchus daphne 2/1
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/3
Goniobranchus splendidus 3/3
Goniodoridella savignyi 2/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/4
Hypselodoris obscura 1/2
Hypselodoris sagamiensis -/1
Jorunna sp. 3 -/1
Noumea norba -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 2/1
Phyllidiella lizae -/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/2
* Pteraeolidia ianthina 6/6
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/3
Tritoniopsis alba -/1
Tylodina corticalis -/1

Phyllidia ocellata

Cadlinella ornatissima

Goniobranchus splendidus

Substrate - rich and diverse

Goniobranchus geometricus - anterior 

mantle flapping

Hexabranchus sanguineus - juvenile

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Pteraeolidia ianthina - most numerous

Ardeadoris aff. averni - a pair

Hypselodoris obscura

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Goniodoridella savignyi

Tylodina corticalis

Hypselodoris jacksoni - juvenile - microscope

Hypselodoris jacksoni - juvenile - in situ

Flabellina rubrolineata - compare with below

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniobranchus cf. reticulatus

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Noumea norba

Jorunna sp. 3

Tritoniopsis alba

Species List: Nudi Retreat, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 01-07-2015

21 species sighted at Nudi Retreat, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 80 minute and 1 x 87 minute dives in water depths of 13m to 17m. 12m viz, 20C water temp and negligible surge.

With the weather and visibility improving every day we decided to visit Nudi Retreat not having dived there for nearly 12 months. We have dived Nudi Ledge which is fairly close but that site has a slightly different terrain. Two finds of note were our Favorinus sp. 1 and Noumea cf. alboannulata. We have up until now been calling this a variation of Noumea alboannulata but this example is so extreme, to the extent of not even having any alba in the remnants of the annulata, that we felt it sensible to separate it until its ID can be confirmed.

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

Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/-
Chromodoris striatella -/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus 1/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/1
Favorinus sp. 1 -/1
Flabellina exoptata 1/-
Flabellina rubrolineata -/1
Goniobranchus albonares 1/-
Goniobranchus daphne -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus -/1
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Noumea cf. alboannulata 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/5
Phyllidiella lizae -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/1
* Pteraeolidia ianthina 3/5
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/3
Tambja tenuilineata -/1
Tritoniopsis alba -/2

Surface conditions

Substrate

Tambja tenuilineata

Tritoniopsis alba

Chromodoris kuiteri

Favorinus sp. 1 - in situ

Favorinus sp. 1 - under the microscope

Goniobranchus albonares - exhibiting 

mantle deformity

Noumea cf. alboannulata

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Ardeadoris rubroannulata

Hypselodoris obscura

Chromodoris striatella

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Goniobranchus daphne