Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 17-10-2015

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

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


Saturday, October 17, 2015

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland 15-10-2015

 Julie and Terry on this single, shore entry, night dive of 63 minutes. Maximum depth 6.1 m, 23C water temperature and 2 m viz.

 8 species found. Not much tidal run in this night dive commencing at 8:15 pm leading up to the high tide.  Other commitments meant that we had to limit the time spent in the water and this is probably the main reason for the limited number of species found.  The list is similar to our previous dive here with the Unidentia angelvaldesi present in massive numbers.

 Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count
 
Cratena lineata -1
Doto sp. 3 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -1
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
Pleurobranchus peronii -2
Rostanga sp. 1 -1
Trinchesia yamasui -1
*Unidentia angelvaldesi -30+

 Doto sp. 3
 
 Cratena lineata
 
 Pleurobranchus peronei
 
 Unidentia angelvaldesi - preeent
in large numbers
 
 Trinchesia yamasui
 
Rostanga sp. 1
 
 

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 11-10-2015

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

Julie and Terry on this single, shore entry, night dive of 126 minutes. Maximum depth 6.7 m, 22C water temperature and 5 m viz.

We worked into an incoming current at last light.  Sightings were slow at first until the conditions became darker and more of the night shift began to emerge.  The majority of the Lomanotus spp. were found on a single piece of hydroid - must have been a party going on!.  It was good to find the Pleurobranchus peronii again.  We had seen egg masses on previous dives but had not managed to see any of the critters. The Tayuva lilacina  at 80 mm was larger than the species we usually find in this area.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata -1
Eubranchus sp. 13 -2
Goniodoridella sp. 4 -1
Hermaea sp. 7 -1
Lomanotus sp. 2 -3
Lomanotus sp. 3 -11
Myja longicornis -1
Phyllodesmium opalescens -7
Pleurobranchus peronii -3
Sakuraeolis nungunoides -1
Tayuva lilacina -1
Trinchesia yamasui -1
*Unidentia angelvaldesi -50+

 Surface conditions
 
 Tayuva lilacina
 
 Goniodoridella sp. 4
 
 Cratena lineata
 
 Lomanotus sp. 2
 
 Phyllodesmium opalescens
 
 Trinchesia yamasui
 
Pleurobranchus peronii
 
Pleurobranchus peronii


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Species List: TJs Boulders, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, Queensland 5-10-2015


31 species sighted at TJs Boulders, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Terry and Julie on these two 68 minute boat dives to 19 m, 15 m visibility 21C water temp.

Finally the good weather stars aligned and we were able to venture out in the boat. After so many shore dives we were not certain we would remember what to do in a boat – never mind being deeper than 7m. Surface conditions were extremely pleasant and the whales graced us with their songs during the dives. Of particular note was the large eagle ray which cruised by on the second dive.

Number of species sighted
* Species with the highest specimen count 

Aplysia parvula 1/-
Ardeadoris aff. averni 1/2
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Babakina indopacifica 1/-
Berthella martensi -/1
Bornella anguilla -/1
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/-
Chromodoris sp.1 -/1
Chromodoris striatella 1/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 2/-
* Dermatobranchus ornatus 3/2
Doriprismatica atromarginata -/3
Favorinus sp. 1 -/1
Flabellina exoptata 1/-
Flabellina rubrolineata 3/-
Glossodoris vespa -/1
Goniobranchus daphne 4/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 2/1
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni -/4
Hypselodoris maritima -/1
Hypselodoris obscura 2/1
Hypselodoris sagamiensis -/1
Nembrotha purpureolineata -/1
Noumea laboutei -/1
Noumea norba 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/1
Phyllidiella lizae 2/-
Pleurolidia juliae -/3
* Pteraeolidia semperi 4/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/3
 

 Dermatobranchus cf. primus

 Noumea norba

 Flabellina exoptata

 Substrate

Phyllidiella lizae
 
 Ardeadoris aff. averni

 Phyllidia ocellata

 Babakina indopacifica

 Flabellina rubrolineata

 Dermatobranchus ornatus

 Ardeadoris rubroannulata

Goniobranchus daphne
 
 Surface conditions

 Chromodoris sp.1

Berthella martensi
 
 Bornella anguilla

 Glossodoris vespa

 Noumea laboutei

 Dermatobranchus ornatus pair
 Aplysia parvula

 Hypselodoris obscura

 Doriprismatica atromarginata

 Sagaminopteron ornatum

 Pleurolidia juliae

Nembrotha purpureolineata