Species List: Forskalii Park, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 25-06-2015

25 species sighted at Forskalii Park, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 94 minute and 1 x 80 minute dives in water depths of 8 m to 11 m. 10 m viz, 20 C water temp and surge.

Having experienced good visibility the day before we decided to try closer to shore on some shallower sections of the reef. We were again fortunate with the visibility and numbers of sea slugs sighted but had to contend with significant surge on the shallower plateau. Although the overall species count is similar more than a third were different to those of the previous day.

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

Aegires citrinus 1/-
* Aplysia parvula 9/7
Ardeadoris aff. averni -/2
Bornella anguilla -/1
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris annae -/1
Chromodoris striatella 1/-
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/-
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 5/6
Flabellina sp. 1 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 2/3
Goniobranchus splendidus 3/3
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/4
Hypselodoris obscura 3/2
Hypselodoris zephyra -/1
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Miamira sinuata 1/-
Miamira magnifica 2/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/2
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 4/2
Tylodina corticalis -/1

Surface conditions

Substrate: 1st dive

Glossodoris vespa

Hypselodoris zephyra

Tylodina corticalis

Substrate: 2nd dive

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Bulbaeolidia alba

Bornella anguilla

Phyllidia varicosa

Goniobranchus splendidus

Chromodoris annae

Ardeadoris aff. averni

 Miamira sinuata

Hypselodoris obscura 

Aegires citrinus

Miamira magnifica

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Chromodoris striatella

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Aplysia parvula

Species List: TJ's Boulders, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, 24-06-2015

26 species sighted at TJ's Boulders, Currimundi Reef, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 79 minute and 1 x 70 minute dives in water depths of 15m to 20m. 12m viz, 20C water temp and a little surge.

Finally, we have been rewarded with a decent species count. Nothing new, nothing startling just a good cross section of sea slugs. TJ's Boulders is one of the deeper Currimundi sites and provides an agreeable variety of depth contours. The first dive presented us with large numbers of adult Pteraeolidia ianthina and Flabellina rubrolineata. Also sighted was an unusual phyllidiid. It is listed and shown below as Phyllidiella sp. We assign no number to it at this stage because we are not at all sure it is a separate species. The rhinophores are predominately black with a clear translucent base, the tubercles are high and angular and some are compound whilst others are individual. It does not entirely fit the description of any of Phyllidiella lizae, Phyllidiella pustulosa, Phyllidiella cooraburrama or Phyllidiopsis krempfi.

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

Chromodoris striatella -/1
Cratena lineata -/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus -/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 3/4
Flabellina rubrolineata 15/1
Flabellina sp. 1 4/-
Glossodoris vespa  -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 3/1
Goniodoridella savignyi 1/1
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 4/3
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris tryoni 1/-
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Miamira magnifica 1/1
Nembrotha purpureolineata 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/-
Phyllidia picta -/2
Phyllidia varicosa 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 2/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 4/3
Phyllidiella sp. -/1
* Pteraeolidia ianthina 21/8
Sagaminopteron ornatum 4/2
Tritoniopsis alba 1/1
Tylodina corticalis 1/-

Surface conditions

Phyllidia picta

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Goniobranchus splendidus

Chromodoris striatella

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Phyllidiella sp. ??

Substrate

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Phyllidia ocellata

Tritoniopsis alba

Jorunna sp. 3

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Miamira magnifica - juvenile

Flabellina sp. 1

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniodoridella savignyi

Nembrotha purpureolineata

Hypselodoris tryoni

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Cratena lineata

Gymnodoris alba

Species List: Northside of Old Woman Island, off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, 20-06-2015

19 species sighted on the Northside of Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast.

Tom & Nicola Davis of Nelson Bay, NSW fame were up in Queensland this weekend so they joined us on one of our typical excursions. They sure are hardy souls down that way. Tom matched our bottom times in his wetsuit with us in our drysuits. No complaints even when the promised hot shower didn't work post dive.

Terry, Julie, Tom Davis & David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 88 minute and 1 x 75 minute dives in water depths of 9 m to 11.5 m. Visibility of 6 m, 20 C water temperature and some slight & intermittent surge. Nicola opted to provide excellent surface support having just shaken off a cold.

A strong wind warning was forecast with SW winds to swing around to the SE. Based on previous experience and monitoring of the BOM local wind modelling we considered the north side of Old Woman Island to be the most comfortable location and so it proved to be. Finding slugs proved to be hard work with their numbers still in short supply. Visibility dropped to about 3 m during the 2nd dive. The Pleurolidia juliae was a good find and photos were taken with its spirally wound egg masses evident.

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


Ardeadoris aff. averni 3/-
Chromodoris lochi -/1
Chromodoris sp. 1  1/1
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/5
Goniobranchus splendidus 5/1
Goniobranchus tinctorius 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 3/1
Hypselodoris obscura 2/2
Miamira magnifica 3/-
Nembrotha purpureolineata -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 1/-
Phyllidia picta 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 1/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/1
Pleurolidia juliae -/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/3
Thuridilla splendens 1/1
Tylodina corticalis  -/3

Surface conditions looking south to the 

island - Tom Davis

Ardeadoris aff. averni - Tom Davis

Chromodoris sp. 1 - Tom Davis

Goniobranchus splendidus - Tom Davis

Goniobranchus tinctorius - Tom Davis

Doriprismatica atromarginata - Tom Davis

Hypselodoris jacksoni - Tom Davis

Phyllidiella lizae - Tom Davis

Phyllidiella pustulosa - Tom Davis

Substrate

Tylodina corticalis

Substrate

Thuridilla splendens

Miamira magnifica

Hypselodoris obscura

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Pleurolidia juliae with egg masses

Chromodoris lochi