Species List: Drop Off, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, 19-12-2015

21 species sighted at Drop Off, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 89 minute and 1 x 77 minute dives in water depths of 15 m to 20 m. 4 m viz, 25 C water temp and surge.

The last of the outgoing tide had the breakers standing up on the Caloundra Bar, short and steep, as we crossed over on our way out to Currimundi Reef. The Drop Off was our destination and Terry managed to drop the pick right at its base in 20 metres. The seas and swell combined to make the surface uncomfortable and the conditions below were also not ideal. However we persevered and achieved a reasonable species count but nothing unusual or new was sighted.

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

Cratena simba 1/1
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/2
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 22/3
Glossodoris vespa 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 1/4
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 5/-
Hypselodoris maritima 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura -/3
Miamira sinuata 1/-
Nembrotha purpureolineata -/2
Phyllidiella lizae 4/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/2
Phyllidiopsis burni -/1
Phyllodesmium macphersonae 1/-
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 -/1
Pteraeolidia semperi -/2
Sagaminopteron ornatum 2/1
Trapania vitta 1/-
Tritoniopsis alba -/1

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Hypselodoris maritima

Trapania vitta

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Cratena simba

Nembrotha purpureolineata

Tritoniopsis alba

Goniobranchus splendidus - a pair 

- one orange, one maroon

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Joggly surface conditions

Hypselodoris jacksoni 

Miamira sinuata

Phyllodesmium macphersonae

Pteraeolidia semperi 

Dermatobranchus tuberculatus

Hypselodoris obscura

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 11-12-2015

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

Julie and Terry on this single shore entry dive of 129 minutes. Maximum depth 6.0 m, 24 C water temperature and 1.5 m viz. After a successful day on Monday, Terry and Julie headed to the river again. With a bit more current running, the visibility was slightly better than Monday, at least until the top of the tide.  It was interesting that we found predominately different species on this excursion although we dived the same location in the river. Although there were no new finds on this dive, we did observe an extremely different colour form of Flabellina angelvaldesi (refer photo below).

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Analogium sp. 1 - 2
Cratena lineata - 1
Doto sp. 3 - 1
Elysia sp. 11 - 1
Flabellina angelvaldesi - 5
Flabellina rubrolineata - 1
Goniobranchus daphne - 1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 - 1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 - 1
Gymnodoris sp. 4 - 1
*Hypselodoris obscura - 11
*Pteraeolidia semperi - 11
Trinchesia sibogae - 1
Trinchesia sp. 23 - 1
Trinchesia sp. 24 - 1

 Flabellina angelvaldesi - different

colour form from those usually seen

 Flabellina rubrolineata

 Hypselodoris obscura

Trinchesia sibogae

Substrate

Terry searching for critters -
the visibility was not great

Hypselodoris obscura

 Flabellina angelvaldesi

Pteraeolidia semperi

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 07-12-2015

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

Julie and Terry on this single shore entry dive of 99 minutes. Maximum depth 6.0 m, 24 C water temperature and 1 m viz. Stupid David left his weights at home so had to sit on the bank and watch bubbles and dream of missed opportunities. Granted he did have other things on his mind that day with his beloved Mischief being sold and shifted up to Kepple Bay by the new owner.

The viz was not good but this in no way hindered the slug search. Two new species were discovered in situ by our intrepid hunters - Plocamopherus sp. 1 and Noumeaella sp. 1. Additionally a small clump of bryozoan was collected and four new species crawled out of that over the subsequent 48 hours - Okenia sp.1, Colinatys sp. 1, Retusa sp. 3 and Kaloplocampus sp. 1 - keeping David busy and being some compensation for the missed immersion. This brings the total for our survey area to 630 species.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Analogium amakusanum - 1
Chelidonura fulvipunctata - 2
Colinatys sp. 1 - 1 New species (formerly Diaphana)
Cratena lineata - 3
Doto sp. 3 - 8
* Flabellina angelvaldesi - 20+
Flabellina rubrolineata - 2
Gymnodoris sp. 10 - 1
Haminoea sp. 9 - 2
Hypselodoris obscura - 1
Kaloplocamus sp. 1 - 2 New species
Noumea simplex - 1
Noumeaella sp. 1 - 1 New species
Okenia cf. mija - 1
Okenia sp. 1 - 1 New species
Philinopsis gardineri - 1
Plocamopherus sp. 1 - 1 New species
Pteraeolidia semperi - 5
Retusa sp. 3 - 1 New species
Trinchesia cf. yamasui - 4

Starting the dive

Surface conditions - 'diver below' flag on the float

Analogium amakusanum

Hypselodoris obscura

Flabellina angelvaldesi 

Noumea simplex

Plocamopherus sp. 1

Pteraeolidia semperi

Flabellina rubrolineata

Cratena lineata

Philinopsis gardineri

Noumeaella sp. 1

Okenia sp. 1

Colinatys sp. 1

Okenia cf. mija

Haminoea sp. 9

Retusa sp. 3

Chelidonura fulvipunctata - colour form

Chelidonura fulvipunctata - another colour form

Plocamopherus sp. 1

Doto sp. 3

Kaloplocamus sp. 1

Species List: Cobb's, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, 28-11-2015

28 species sighted at Cobb's, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast.

Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 80 minute and 1 x 87 minute dives in water depths of 14 m to 17 m. 8 m viz, 25 C water temp and no surge.

We decided on Cobb's at Currimundi for this trip as it provides intermediate depths and a range of substrate contours plus we have only undertaken a few dives here so we were keen to check it out once more. Quite a diversity of sea slugs were sighted including an undescribed Elysia, new to our list, and the feeding choice and behaviour of Chelidonura inornata was also recorded.

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

Ardeadoris aff. averni 1/-
Berthella martensi -/4
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
* Chelidonura inornata 7/2
Dermatobranchus oculus -/2
Dermatobranchus ornatus 4/2
Dermatobranchus rodmani 1/3
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata  4/1
Elysia sp. 14 -/1 (New species)
Glossodoris vespa -/2
Goniobranchus daphne 2/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 4/3
Goniodoridella savignyi 2/1
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/2
Hypselodoris obscura -/1
Mexichromis pusilla -/1
Nembrotha purpureolineata -/1
Noumea simplex -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 4/1
Phyllidiella lizae -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa -/2
Phyllodesmium colemani 1/1
Pleurobranchus peronii 1/-
Tambja tenuilineata -/1
Thuridilla carlsoni -/1
Tritoniopsis alba 3/1

Surface conditions

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Goniodoridella savignyi

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Ardeadoris aff. averni

Phyllidia ocellata 

Phyllodesmium colemani 

Glossodoris vespa

Elysia sp. 14 (New species)

Dermatobranchus oculus

Gymnodoris alba

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Substrate

Bulbaeolidia alba

Pleurobranchus peronii

Goniobranchus daphne

Chelidonura inornata

Tritoniopsis alba

Goniobranchus splendidus

Nembrotha purpureolineata

Mexichromis pusilla

Tambja tenuilineata

Dermatobranchus tuberculatus

Noumea simplex

Berthella martensi