Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 07-01-2016

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

Julie and David on this single shore entry dive of 160 minutes. Maximum depth 6.3 m, 26 C water temperature and 2 m viz.

The neap tides whilst allowing us longer submersions do not carry away any silt disturbance and we often find ourselves in a hazy cloud of our own making. A couple of not-so-common species were found together with new additions, number 636 & 637, for our Sunshine Coast list - Trapania japonica and Lomanotus sp. 5.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Analogium amakusanum -1
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -56
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -1
Goniobranchus daphne -3
Goniobranchus decorus -2
Goniobranchus geometricus -1
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -5
Gymnodoris sp. 1 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -18
Lomanotus sp. 5 -1
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
Pleurobranchus weberi -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -20
Trapania japonica -1 (New species)
Trinchesia yamasui -1

Goniobranchus splendidus 

Goniobranchus decorus

Gymnodoris sp. 1

Hypselodoris obscura

Pteraeolidia semperi with eggs

Trapania japonica - New species

Surface conditions & sunset

Analogium amakusanum

Goniobranchus daphne - A pair with eggs

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniobranchus geometricus

 Flabellina angelvaldesi

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus

Trinchesia yamasui with eggs

Phyllodesmium opalescens

Lomanotus sp. 5 - New species

Pleurobranchus weberi 

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 03-01-2016

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

Julie, Terry and David on this single shore entry dive of 178 minutes. Maximum depth 6.4 m, 26 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

Back in the river again for this dive. The onshore winds had dropped but the swell was still running at 2 m + that would have created uncomfortable surge on the reefs. We are currently in a neap tide phase meaning the tidal run between high and low tides is much reduced so that we could spend more time in the water either side of the peak. One of the first species spotted was a pair of Cerebrilla ambonensis zooming around down on the sandy bottom of the river channel. The hyperactive little charmer we have called Facelina sp. 10 is a new addition to our overall Sunshine Coast list as is the little piggy-looking Philinopsis sp. 2. Surprised to see Diversidoris aurantionodulosa in the river although we should not be amazed at what turns up now.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Analogium amakusanum -5
Cerberilla ambonensis -5
Diversidoris aurantionodulosa -1
Facelina sp. 10 (New species)
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -20+
Flabellina rubrolineata -7
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -1
Goniobranchus daphne -1
Goniobranchus decorus -3
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -6+
Hypselodoris obscura -15
Liloa brevis -1
Philinopsis pilsbryi -1
Philinopsis sp. 2 -1 (New species)
Pleurobranchus weberi -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -16
Trinchesia puellula -1
Trinchesia sibogae -3
Trinchesia sp. 23 -1
Trinchesia sp. 24 -1
Trinchesia yamasui -3

Two of the intrepid team doing pre-dive checks 

Trinchesia sibogae

Flabellina angelvaldesi

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus

Philinopsis pilsbryi

Substrate

Liloa brevis

Goniodoridella sp. 1 

Goniobranchus decorus

Pleurobranchus weberi

Facelina sp. 10 (New species)

Philinopsis sp. 2 (New species)

Trinchesia sp. 23 - going for gold

Pteraeolidia semperi - pale specimen

Cerberilla ambonensis

Cerberilla ambonensis - emerging from the sand

Trinchesia puellula 

Analogium amakusanum

Philinopsis sp. 2 - in situ

Goniobranchus daphne

Flabellina angelvaldesi - showing habitat

Diversidoris aurantionodulosa

Trinchesia sp. 24

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 31-12-2015

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

Julie, Terry and David on this single shore entry dive of 140 minutes. Maximum depth 6.9 m, 25 C water temperature and 2 m viz.

New Year's Eve - Our final dive for the year was undertaken in the Mooloolah River due to the unsuitable conditions being whipped up by the strong south to southeasterly winds blowing onshore. This site is usually of no hardship - easy access, easy diving and very often something new. The viz wasn't the best but it certainly made us look a lot closer. New species of Noumeaella (our sp. 2) and Facelina (our sp. 9) were discovered. We are yet to come to a conclusion about a small Philinopsis that looks somewhat like Philinopsis lineolata except that it is black with transverse stripes that are comprised of spots of various iridescent colours (bling). Whether this a juvenile presentation is being considered but it does not have the characteristic buccal hump of that species. A tiny unidentified Goniodorididae nudibranch was also detected but may be too juvenile to arrive at a positive ID.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Analogium amakusanum -3
Bulbaeolidia alba -2
Doto sp. 3 -4
Facelina sp. 9 -1 (New species)
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -24+
Flabellina rubrolineata -1
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -1
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -1
Goniobranchus daphne -3
Goniobranchus decorus -2
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -8
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
* Hypselodoris obscura -26
Noumeaella sp. 2 -1 (New species)
Philinopsis sp. 2 ??? -1
Pleurobranchus weberi -3
Pteraeolidia semperi -10
Trinchesia sp. 23 -1
Trinchesia sp. 24 -1
Unidentified juvenile Goniodorididae -1

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniobranchus decorus 

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniobranchus collingwoodi

Hypselodoris obscura

Pteraeolidia semperi 

Gymnodoris sp. 10 

Doto sp. 3

Facelina sp. 9 - New species

Unidentified juvenile Goniodorididae species

Surface conditions - The entrance stairs 

with handrail for the geriatric divers

Noumeaella sp. 2 - New species

Philinopsis sp. - (P. lineolata?)

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus

Analogium amakusanum

Flabellina angelvaldesi - Moving in 

to lop of another orange hydroid polyp

Pleurobranchus weberi

Bulbaeolidia alba

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Trinchesia sp. 23

Gymnodoris nigricolor