Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Species List: Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals off Coolum, Sunshine Coast, 11-09-2014

38 species sighted at Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals off Coolum, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 81 minute and 1 x 78 minute dives in water depths of 14m to 17m. 20C water temp, variable viz from 10m to 15m and a slight surge.

Wind and surface conditions permitted a comfortable trip up to Point Arkwright to dive the inshore shoals. We worked the tops of the ridges and a little down along the gutters but stayed above the deeper sandy substrate. We were rewarded with an excellent species count with large populations of some evident. Whilst no new additions to our records were found there were a couple of not-so-common species that occupied our time in the attempt to document better images.

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

Aegires flores 3/1
Ardeadoris aff. averni 3/4
Ardeadoris averni -/1
Berthella martensi 1/-
Bornella anguilla 2/3
Chromodoris elisabethina -/2
Chromodoris kuiteri -/1
Chromodoris striatella -/3
Cratena lineata -/2
Dermatobranchus ornatus 2/-
*Doriprismatica atromarginata 12/18
Elysia maoria 1/1
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/1
Flabellina sp. 1 2/1
Glossodoris vespa 2/-
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -/1
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 1/3
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 4/5
Hypselodoris maritima 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura 8/9
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 2/2
Hypselodoris whitei 1/-
Jorunna sp. 3 -/1
Mexichromis festiva 1/-
Miamira magnifica 1/1
Noumea verconiforma 1/-
Phyllidia picta -/1
Phyllidia varicosa 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 2/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/3
Phyllodesmium macphersonae -/1
Phyllodesmium magnum 2/1
Placida cf. aoteana 1/-
Pteraeolidia ianthina 1/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 8/8
Tritoniopsis alba 2/-

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Looking down one of the gutters

Ardeadoris aff. averni

Tritoniopsis alba

Hypselodoris whitei

Hypselodoris obscura

Flabellina sp. 1

Noumea verconiforma

Aegires flores

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Flabellina rubrolineata

Bornella anguilla

Phyllodesmium magnum

Finishing the first dive

Surface conditions

Chromodoris elisabethina

Jorunna sp. 3

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Phyllodesmium macphersonae

Phyllidia picta

Chromodoris kuiteri

Miamira magnifica - juvenile

Phyllidiella lizae

Ardeadoris averni - note colour to edge of foot

Phyllidia varicosa - note rhinophoral pustules

Dermatobranchus ornatus 

Miamira magnifica

Goniobranchus geometricus

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Berthella martensi

Hexabranchus sanguineus - juvenile

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Mexichromis festiva

Goniobranchus collingwoodi - juvenile

Chromodoris striatella

Cratena lineata

Terry working up a gutter

Elysia maoria

Placida cf. aoteana

Placida cf. aoteana

Goniobranchus splendidus