Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 17-02-2016

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

Terry, Gary and David on this single, shore entry dive of 154 minutes. Maximum depth 5.9 m, 26 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

We entered the water at the set of stairs from La Balsa Park that are closest to the river mouth and swam into the incoming tide. This section has a substrate that is more gritty sand than the finer silt found just a short distance back upstream. Fortune smiled yet again upon us as we found two more species new to our list - Aglaja sp. 3 and Plocamopherus pecoso.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Aglaja sp. 3 -1 New species
Bulbaeolidia alba -2
Elysia pusilla -1
Flabellina angelvaldesi -6
Flabellina sp. 1 -1
Goniobranchus daphne -5
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -3
Goniodoris sp. 2 -1
Gymnodoris alba -2
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -7
Philinopsis orientalis -1
Plocamopherus pecoso -1  New species
* Pteraeolidia semperi -48
Trinchesia diversicolor -1
Trinchesia sibogae -13
Trinchesia sp. 23  -1

Surface conditions as divers complete final checks.

Hypselodoris obscura

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Trinchesia sibogae

Goniobranchus daphne

Pteraeolidia semperi - white specimen 

lacking symbiotic zooxanthellae

Philinopsis orientalis

Pteraeolidia semperi - head shot

Trinchesia diversicolor

Aglaja sp. 3 - New species - in situ

Aglaja sp. 3 - New species

Goniodoris sp. 2

Flabellina sp. 1

Trinchesia sp. 23

Gymnodoris alba

Bulbaeolidia alba

Plocamopherus pecoso - New species

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 12-02-2016

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

Gary and David on this single, shore entry dive of 152 minutes. Maximum depth 7 m, 26 C water temperature and 2 m viz.

Once again the Flabellina angelvaldesi did not disappoint by being present in large numbers. A couple of no-so-common species were sighted. The Pleurobranchus grandis we have seen before but only around the 15 mm size whereas this time it was 60 mm. This still is nowhere near full adult size however which can reach 200 mm. This is the first time we have been able to photograph Doto sp. 3 in situ.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Cratena lineata -1
Dermatobranchus oculus -4
Doto sp. 3 -1
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -115
Flabellina rubrolineata -1
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -3
Goniobranchus daphne -19
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -7
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -2
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hoplodoris nodulosa -1
Hypselodoris obscura -7
Pleurobranchus grandis (sub-adult) -1
Pleurobranchus weberi -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -10
Tornatina sp. 1 -1

Surface conditions - looking downstream

Dermatobranchus oculus - 5 mm

Flabellina angelvaldesi - 18 mm

Pteraeolidia semperi - 90 mm

Goniodoridella sp. 1 - 3 mm - a pair

Hypselodoris obscura - 40 mm

Flabellina rubrolineata - 30 mm

Bulbaeolidia alba - 8 mm

Goniobranchus daphne - 25 mm

Doto sp. 3 -  4 mm - in situ

Doto sp. 3 - 4 mm

Pleurobranchus weberi - 150 mm - mating pair

Hoplodoris nodulosa - 50 mm

Cratena lineata - 6 mm

Tornatina sp. 1 - 2 mm

Goniobranchus collingwoodi - 30 mm

Gymnodoris sp. 9 - 8 mm

Pleurobranchus grandis - 60 mm

Species List: Kings Beach intertidal, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 10-02-2016

10 species sighted at Kings Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Gary and Terry on this low tide shore excursion.

It was nice to find a variety of species on this trip lasting around 90 minutes.  Having Gary back on board helped a lot - he has a knack for turning over the right rock!

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Chelidonura fulvipunctata1   
Elysia coodgeensis 5
Flabellina rubrolineata 1   
Gymnodoris sp. 9 1  
Haminoea sp. 2 4  
Hypselodoris maritima 1  
Sebadoris fragilis 1  
Spurilla braziliana 1   
Tayuva lilacina 1
*Vayssierea caledonica 7

 Vayssierea caledonica

 Haminoea sp. 2

Chelidonura fulvipunctata

 Tayuva lilacina

 Hypselodoris maritima

 Sebadoris fragilis

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 10-02-2016

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

Gary and David on this single, shore entry dive of 145 minutes. Maximum depth  6.4 m, 26 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

Despite the rain the conditions still seem to be holding up in the river allowing us to dive because the constant strong onshore winds have precluded any offshore diving. Flabellina angelvaldesi are in plague proportions reflecting no doubt the existence of plentiful hydroids of their choice. Most of the other sightings were of the usual suspects except the Phyllaplysia sp. 1 which has only been found here once before. This time it was found crawling on Halimeda.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Atys sp. 1 -1
Bulbaeolidia alba -2
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -100+
Flabellina rubrolineata -2
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -2
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -2
Goniobranchus daphne -10
Goniobranchus decorus -1
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Goniobranchus verrieri -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -5
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -3
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -8
Phyllaplysia sp. 1 -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -9
Trinchesia yamasui -1

Phyllaplysia sp. 1 - 4 mm

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus - 50 mm

Goniobranchus daphne - 25 mm

Flabellina rubrolineata - 25 mm

Goniodoridella sp. 1 - 3 mm

Hypselodoris obscura - 10 mm

Bulbaeolidia alba - 8 mm

Trinchesia yamasui - 40 mm

Gymnodoris sp. 9 - 8 mm

Goniobranchus collingwoodi - 25 mm

Flabellina angelvaldesi - 22 mm

Goniobranchus decorus - 12 mm