Julie, Terry and David on this single shore entry dive of 147 minutes. Maximum depth 6.0 m, 24 C water temperature and 4 m viz.
We are now officially out of our dry suits and into the semi-wets. With water temps of between 23 & 24 C they are quite comfortable for a long single dive. We again managed to find a species new to our Sunshine Coast list in Cratena sp. 1 which in many ways is similar to Phidiana bourailli. Unidentia angelvaldesi are in plague proportions with large colonies feeding on the silt covered hydroids. (We will change the name to Flabellina angelvaldesi when the new paper is published.) This prolific hydroid, camouflaged by the covering of silt trapped in the mucus, is probably the dominant sessile animal life clinging to the river rocks. A single specimen of Pteraeolidia semperi was also sighted so perhaps these too are beginning to make a comeback. Another nice find was the small and very seldom sighted Polycera risbeci.
Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count
Cratena sp. 1 -1 (New species)
Elysia cf. furvacauda -2
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -2
Goniodoridella sp. 4 -1
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1
Haminoea sp. -1
Hypselodoris obscura -2
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
Polycera risbeci -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -1
Sakuraeolis nungunoides -1
Trinchesia sp. 23 -3
* Unidentia angelvaldesi -75+
Goniodoridella savignyi
Trinchesia sp. 23
Pteraeolidia semperi - pale juvenile
Hypselodoris obscura
Unidentia angelvaldesi
Cratena sp. 1 - New species
Goniodoridella sp. 4
Goniodoridella sp. 4
Haminoea sp.
Polycera risbeci
Sakuraeolis nungunoides - pale juvenile
Phyllodesmium opalescens
Elysia cf. furvacauda
