Species List: Moffat Beach, Caloundra intertidal, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 9-04-2016

10 species sighted during a two hour search of the inter-tidal area at Moffat Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast. An hour spent looking under rocks and an hour searching the tidal pools - back breaking stuff but some interesting finds that make it worthwhile.

Good conditions with a clear sky and no wind to 'ruffle' the surface and make searching the pools difficult.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

*Aplysia argus - 43
Berthella stellata - 1
Elysia coodgeensis - 15
Favorinus japonicus - 1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 - 1
Haminoea sp. 1 - 12
Haminoea sp. 2 - 1
Philine rubrata - 1
Spurilla brazilliana - 1 (red colour-form)
Vayssierea caledonica - 27

 Haminoea sp. 2

 Favorinus japonicus

 Philine rubrata

 Haminoea sp. 1

 Gymnodoris sp. 10

Berthella stellata

Aplysia argus egg mass

 Elysia coodgeensis - in situ

 Gymnodoris sp. 10 - in situ

Spurilla brazilliana

Terry at one of the tidal pools

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 09-04-2016

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 150 minutes. Maximum depth 6.0 m, 26 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

The whole Team dived together for this outing and we mostly managed to keep out of each other's way. We keep finding the same number of species but different ones apart from the every-time regulars. It's still a joy after about 60 dives there over the past two years. You never know what's going to turn up.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Doto sp. 3 -3
Elysia pusilla -1
Eubranchus sp. 10 -5
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -57
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -1
Goniobranchus daphne -5
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -18
Goniodoridella sp. 3 -1
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1
Hypselodoris obscura -4
Myja longicornis -3
Plakobranchus sp. 1 -2
Pleurobranchus weberi -4
Pteraeolidia semperi -16
Trinchesia sp. 23 -2
Trinchesia sp. 32 -2
Trinchesia yamasui -2

Surface Conditions

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus 

A mating pair - Pleurobranchus weberi 

Gymnodoris nigricolor

A pair - Flabellina angelvaldesi

Plakobranchus sp. 1

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Trinchesia sp. 32 

(formerly referred to by us as Trinchesia cf. yamasui)

The reverse surface shot

Pteraeolidia semperi

Hypselodoris obscura

Goniobranchus daphne

Pleurobranchus weberi - on the move

Doto sp. 3

A really big Plakobranchus sp. 1

Myja longicornis

Eubranchus sp. 10

Goniodoridella sp. 3

Trinchesia yamasui

Trinchesia sp. 23 - amongst the hydroid polyps

Species List: Shelly Beach, Caloundra intertidal, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 7-04-2016

6 species sighted at Shelly Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Australia intertidal area. Perfect sunny day little wind. This was exactly the same area and time spent searching as on the 26th March.  We intend to repeat this exercise a few times at a number of sites on the Sunshine Coast to see what different critters, and numbers, we find.

Aplysia argus – 8

Dendrodoris fumata - 1

Dendrodoris nigra – 1

Elysia coodgensis – 5

Haminoea sp. 1 – 5

Vayssierea caledonica – 14

 Dendrodoris fumata

Haminoea sp. 1

 

The site

 Aplysia argus

Species List: Nud Retreat, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 02-04-2016

26 species sighted at Nudi Retreat, Curriumundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Julie, Gary and Terry on this excursion consisting of 1 x 98 minute and 1 x 87 minute dive in water to 16.5 m deep, 10 m viz, 26 C water temp and some surge.

We anchored approximately 20 m to the north of our mark for this site and the area from the anchor to the mark consisted of scattered rocks, sponges and some areas of soft coral.  The areas closer to the mark were thickly covered in soft, leathery corals.  On the second dive we ventured to the west of the anchor, north-west of our mark, and were pleased to find our latest new critter, Doto racemosa.

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

Berthella martensi 1/1
Bornella anguilla 1/1
Chelidonura inornata 5/4
Chromodoris kuiteri 2/2
*Dermatobranchus oculus 11/6
Dermatobranchus ornatus 10/6
Doriprismatica atromarginata 5/1
Doto racemosa -/2 New species 660!
Flabellina bicolor 1/-
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/1
Goniobranchus daphne -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 3/1
Goniodoridella savignyi -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 3/-
Hypselodoris obscura 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 3/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 2/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/3
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/-
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 1/1
Pteraeolidia semperi 4/3
Sagaminopteron ornatum 1/-
Stiliger aureomarginatus -/1
Tenellia sp. 6 1/-
Thuridilla carlsoni 1/-

 Sagaminopteron ornatum

Tenellia sp 6

Goniodoridella savignyi

 Dermatobranchus ornatus

 Goniobranchus splendidus

 Substrate

 Chelidonura inornata

 Phyllidia ocellata - mating

 Doto racemosa - new species for us

 Hypselodoris obscura

 Surface conditions

 Dermatobranchus oculus

 Stiliger aureomarginatus

 Doto racemosa

Hexabranchus sanguineus - juvenile

Phyllidia varicosa

Species List: Kings Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 1-04-2016

3 species sighted at Kings Beach Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Julie and Terry on this 95 minute dive to 6.6 m depth out from the Kings Beach boat ramp.  Water temperature was 26C and the visibility varied from 5 to 10 m.There was a lot of surge that prevented any close examination of the substrate so we spent a lot of time drifting with the surge, unable to look closely for our usual targets.  However, what was missed in the way of nudibranchs was made up for by the octopus, cuttlefish, moray eels, sweetlips, and other (non-opisthobranch species) we saw.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Doriprismatica atromarginata - 2
Pteraeolidia semperi - 1
*Stiliger aureomarginatus - 14

 Substrate

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Pteraeolidia semperi

 Stiliger aureomarginatus - pair

 

Surface conditions 

didn't look like much surge

Stiliger aureomarginatus

Species List: Moffat Beach, Caloundra intertidal, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 28-03-2016

6 species sighted at Moffat Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Australia intertidal area. Two hours spent scouring the rock pools and boulders on the northern end of the rock platform to the south of Moffat Beach at low tide. A pleasant way to end the Easter long weekend.

Aside from the species listed below, we also found a number of Lamellaria sp. These are possibly better known under their common name, Velvet Snails, and are often confused with opisthobranchs because of their small size and small internal shell that is covered with fleshy lobes. A photo of one is shown below - the pointed head tentacles emerging from under the body and anterior siphon are clearly visible. Clearly not opisthobranchs but often the cause of some initial excitement when found.

Aplysia argus -22
Dendrodoris nigra - 3
Elysia coodgeensis - 9
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Sebadoris fragilis - 1
Vayssierea caledonica - 34

Lamellaria sp. - not an opisthobranch

Goniobranchus splendidus

The site