Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 12-03-2016

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

Julie, Terry, and David on this single, shore entry dive of 148 minutes. Maximum depth 6.2 m, 27 C water temperature and 6 m viz.

Excellent visibility greeted us upon entry and with the sun high in the sky it was very bright down under. Two new species to our list were sighted - Facelina sp. 11 and Plakobranchus sp. 1. The Cyerce nigra is a species new to the river.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Cyerce nigra -1
Eubranchus sp. 10 -3
Facelina sp. 11 -3 (New Species)
Flabellina angelvaldesi -10
Flabellina sp. 4 -3
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -2
* Goniobranchus daphne -21
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -4
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1
Hypselodoris obscura -2
Phyllaplysia sp. 2 -2
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
Plakobranchus sp. 1 -1 (New Species)
Pteraeolidia semperi -10
Trinchesia sibogae -3

Phyllaplysia sp.2

Eubranchus sp. 10

Flabellina sp. 4

Plakobranchus sp. 1 - New species

Cyerce nigra - showing 

transverse groove in foot

Hypselodoris obscura

Trinchesia sibogae

Substrate

Gymnodoris nigricolor

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus

Facelina sp. 11 - New Species

Facelina sp. 11

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniobranchus daphne

Trinchesia sibogae - feeding 

Cyerce nigra

Plakobranchus sp. 1

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 08-03-2016

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

Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this single, shore entry night dive of 111 minutes. Maximum depth 6.9 m, 27 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

The species count wasn't anything to crow about but we still managed to find a new one to our list. Dermatobranchus sp. 6 is a little 10 mm orange nudibranch that exhibited unusual burrowing behaviour. It was very active and moved at a much faster pace than other species of Dermatobranchus we have observed.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Chelidonura fulvipunctata -1
Dendrodoris denisoni -1
Dermatobranchus sp. 6 -1 (New species)
Elysia pusilla -4
Flabellina angelvaldesi -3
Flabellina sp. 4 -2
Goniobranchus daphne -10
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -3
Hoplodoris nodulosa -1
Hypselodoris obscura -2
Lomanotus sp. 4 -1
Philinopsis gardineri -1
Philinopsis pilsbryi -1
* Pteraeolidia semperi -12

Bulbaeolidia alba

Hypselodoris obscura

Elysia pusilla

Goniobranchus daphne

Philinopsis gardineri

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Hoplodoris nodulosa

Dendrodoris denisoni

Flabellina sp. 4

Chelidonura fulvipunctata

Philinopsis pilsbryi

Lomanotus sp. 4

Dermatobranchus sp. 6 (New species)

Dermatobranchus sp. 6 

Dermatobranchus sp. 6 

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 04-03-2016

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

Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this single, shore entry dive of 146 minutes. Maximum depth 5.9 m, 28 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

Small tides are allowing us to get into the water much earlier before the high tide. This compensates for the drop in visibility once the run stops and turns. Although the number of different species we sight is fairly constant, between 17 & 20 each dive, there are quite a few different ones each time apart from the core of usual suspects.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.


Analogium amakusanum -3
Elysia pusilla -2
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -47
Flabellina exoptata -1
Flabellina sp. 4 -1
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -2
Goniobranchus daphne -11
Goniobranchus decorus -5
Goniobranchus splendidus -2
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -31
Goniodoridella sp. 3 -2
Hypselodoris obscura -6
Phidiana bourailli -1
Phyllaplysia sp. ? -1 TBC
Pleurobranchus weberi -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -13
Trinchesia sp. 23 -1

Final checks completed - ready to dive

Goniobranchus decorus

Goniobranchus daphne

Elysia pusilla

Goniobranchus collingwoodi

Flabellina sp. 4 

Analogium amakusanum

Flabellina angelvaldesi

Goniodoridella sp. 3

Pleurobranchus weberi

Flabellina exoptata

Phidiana bourailli

Substrate - "Twin Peaks"

Hypselodoris obscura

Goniobranchus splendidus - caught in 

a scatological moment

Phyllaplysia sp. ?

Pteraeolidia semperi

Goniodoridella sp. 1

International Nudibranch Day

Hey everyone, don’t forget to celebrate International Nudibranch Day on Sunday!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Nudibranch_Day_(6_March)

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 02-03-2016

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

Terry, Gary and David on this single, shore entry dive of 180 minutes. Maximum depth 5.9 m, 27 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

Despite the heavy rainfall of the previous day the viz had actually improved on the last dive in the river.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Dendrodoris nigra -1
Flabellina angelvaldesi - 1
Flabellina sp. 4 -2
Goniobranchus daphne -19
Goniobranchus decorus -1
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -16
Gymnodoris alba -1
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -3
Hoplodoris nodulosa -3
Hypselodoris obscura -11
Philinopsis speciosa -1
Phyllaplysia sp. 1 -1
* Pteraeolidia semperi -31
Trinchesia sibogae -1
Trinchesia sp. 23 -1

Philinopsis speciosa

Hoplodoris nodulosa

Dendrodoris nigra

Flabellina sp. 4

Trinchesia sibogae

Trinchesia sp. 23

Substrate

Hypselodoris obscura

Goniobranchus daphne

Bulbaeolidia alba

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Goniobranchus decorus 

Gymnodoris alba

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Phyllaplysia sp. 1