Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 30-08-2015

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

Julie, Terry and David on this single shore entry dive of 123 minutes. Maximum depth 6 m, 20 C water temperature and 4 m viz.

The river is starting to produce good numbers of sea slugs once again although this is in stark contrast to the previous dive in the river - not recorded in the Blogs - a night dive on 27/08/2015 at the far eastern end of the park when the total count only consisted of two specimens of Unidentia angelvaldesi. The interesting point is that there are two species in the list below that we have not encountered previously in the river. The Gymnodoris nigricolor was a much larger specimen than the one found here for the first time a week and a half ago.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Analogium amakusanum  -2
Analogium sp. 1  -1
Bulbaeolidia alba  -1
Cratena lineata  -1
Elysia cf. furvacauda  -1
Elysia coodgeensis  -1
Goniodoridella savignyi  -4
* Goniodoridella sp. 1  -13
Gymnodoris nigricolor  -1
Gymnodoris sp. 9  -9
Hypselodoris obscura  -1
Sakuraeolis nungunoides  -3
Trinchesia cf. yamasui  -3
Trinchesia sp. 23  -1
Trinchesia sp. 24  -1
Unidentia angelvaldesi  -11

Surface conditions

Cratena lineata

Bulbaeolidia alba 

Trinchesia cf. yamasui - three with eggs

Substrate

Elysia coodgeensis

Sakuraeolis nungunoides

Unidentia angelvaldesi

Gymnodoris nigricolor - large, dark & fast

Unidentia angelvaldesi - the lighter colour form

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Goniodoridella savignyi

Elysia cf. furvacauda

Elysia cf. furvacauda 

Analogium amakusanum

Trinchesia sp. 24

Trinchesia sp. 23

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Analogium sp. 1 - rarely sighted

Species List: Intertidal search, in front of the Humpybong Yacht Club, Woody Point, Redcliffe Peninsula, 30-07-2015.

11 species sighted at the intertidal flats in front of the Humpybong Yacht Club, Woody Point, Moreton Bay, S.E. Queensland.

A 2 hour sieving excursion in the shallow silt at low water adjacent to sea grass and algae patches. A rewarding outcome for repetitive effort with 3 species being added to our list.

This report is late in being posted but some time was needed to confirm several of the bubble shell ID's for which we thank Bob Burn.

Number of each species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Atys sp. 4  -2
Atys sp. 6  -1
Atys sp. 7  -1 (New species)
Gymnodoris sp. 11 -1 (New species)
Haminoea sp. 2  -1
Japonacteon suturalis Shell  -1
* Pupa affinis  -7
Ringicula sp. 1 Shells  -3
Ringicula sp. 3 Live & Shells  -4
Ringicula sp. 4 Shell  -1 (New species)
Tornatina sp. 1  -2

Atys sp. 4

Atys sp. 6

Atys sp. 7 (New species)

Gymnodoris sp. 11 (New species)

Haminoea sp. 2

Ringicula sp. 3

Ringicula sp. 4 (New species)

Tornatina sp. 1

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 20-08-2015

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

Julie and Terry on this single shore entry dive of 117 minutes. Maximum depth of 6 m, 18 C water temperature and 5 m viz.

Great conditions in the river for this dive along the edge of La Balsa Park between the areas we dived on our previous two outings.  The species count is still low but is improving on each dive and the increasing benthic life, particularly hydroids, algae and even a couple of octocorals, is encouraging.  It was also nice to find a couple of new species for our list of finds in this area.  To the best of our knowledge, the Gymnodoris nigricolor has not been found in this area before.  Myja longicornis is a rare and difficult find in the area and to find three on the one dive is quite amazing.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Dendrodoris denisoni -1
Eubranchus sp. 13 -1 (new species)
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -6
Gymnodoris alba -1
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1 (new species)
Myja longicornis -3
Trinchesia cf. yamasui -1
Trinchesia sibogae -1
Trinchesia sp. 24 -1
*Unidentia angelvaldesi -26
 

 Substrate

Gymnodoris alba

 Goniodoridella savignyi - buried in substrate

 Trinchesia cf. yamasui

 Unidentia angelvaldesi

 Trinchesia sibogae

 Goniodoridella sp. 1

 Dendrodoris denisoni

 Trinchesia sp. 24

 Gymnodoris nigricolor

Gymnodoris nigricolor

 Myja longicornis

 

Eubranchus sp. 13 - found on the same 

hydroid as the Myja longicornis

Species List: Hancock Shoals, north of Coolum, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 01-08-2015

30 species sighted at Hancock Shoals, opposite Mt Peregian, north of Coolum, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 95 minute and 1 x 73 minute dives in water depths of 10 m to 13 m. 10 m viz, 19 C water temp and constant but not heavy surge.

Ideal surface conditions provided the opportunity to head further up the coast to the Hancock Shoals. The shallower water here gave us longer bottom times but subjected us to a small but constant (read - annoying) surge. Sea slugs were plentiful and a number of not-so-common species were sighted such as Bornella stellifer, Eubranchus sp. 6, Thuridilla sp. 1 and Tritonia sp. 1 making the effort worthwhile. This is an interesting site with a number of shallower and undercut terraces and also a large number of loose, small rocks and coral plates,  providing hiding places, that may be carefully turned to reveal all manner of reclusive creatures.

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

Aegires citrinus -/1
Ardeadoris aff. averni 1/1
Berthellina citrina 1/-
Bornella anguilla 2/1
Bornella stellifer -/1
Chromodoris kuiteri -/1
Chromodoris sp. 1 2/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 4/5
Eubranchus sp. 6 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 1/3
Goniobranchus conchyliatus 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 11/4
Gymnodoris alba 2/2
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/1
Hoplodoris nodulosa 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/2
Hypselodoris maritima 1/-
* Hypselodoris obscura 10/6
Hypselodoris whitei 1/-
Jorunna parva 1/-
Mexichromis trilineata 2/-
Phyllidia madangensis -/1
Phyllidiella lizae -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 4/3
Thuridilla sp. 1 1/-
Thuridilla splendens -/2
Trinchesia sibogae 2/-
Tritonia sp. 1 1/-
Tritoniopsis alba 1/1

Chromodoris sp. 1

Tritonia sp. 1

Hoplodoris nodulosa

Trinchesia sibogae

Hypselodoris whitei

Hypselodoris maritima

Tritoniopsis alba

Phyllidia madangensis

Substrate

Gymnodoris alba

Thuridilla sp. 1

Glossodoris vespa

Sagaminopteron ornatum 

Hexabranchus sanguineus 

Surface conditions

Jorunna parva

Bornella anguilla - feeding

Berthellina citrina

Goniobranchus conchyliatus

Eubranchus sp. 6

Ardeadoris aff. averni

Mexichromis trilineata

Goniobranchus splendidus

Bornella stellifer

Aegires citrinus