Julie, Terry and David on this single shore entry dive of 140 minutes. Maximum depth 6.9 m, 25 C water temperature and 2 m viz.
New Year's Eve - Our final dive for the year was undertaken in the Mooloolah River due to the unsuitable conditions being whipped up by the strong south to southeasterly winds blowing onshore. This site is usually of no hardship - easy access, easy diving and very often something new. The viz wasn't the best but it certainly made us look a lot closer. New species of Noumeaella (our sp. 2) and Facelina (our sp. 9) were discovered. We are yet to come to a conclusion about a small Philinopsis that looks somewhat like Philinopsis lineolata except that it is black with transverse stripes that are comprised of spots of various iridescent colours (bling). Whether this a juvenile presentation is being considered but it does not have the characteristic buccal hump of that species. A tiny unidentified Goniodorididae nudibranch was also detected but may be too juvenile to arrive at a positive ID.
Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count
Analogium amakusanum -3
Bulbaeolidia alba -2
Doto sp. 3 -4
Facelina sp. 9 -1 (New species)
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -24+
Flabellina rubrolineata -1
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -1
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -1
Goniobranchus daphne -3
Goniobranchus decorus -2
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -8
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
* Hypselodoris obscura -26
Noumeaella sp. 2 -1 (New species)
Philinopsis sp. 2 ??? -1
Pleurobranchus weberi -3
Pteraeolidia semperi -10
Trinchesia sp. 23 -1
Trinchesia sp. 24 -1
Unidentified juvenile Goniodorididae -1
Flabellina rubrolineata
Goniobranchus decorus
Goniobranchus daphne
Goniobranchus collingwoodi
Hypselodoris obscura
Pteraeolidia semperi
Gymnodoris sp. 10
Doto sp. 3
Facelina sp. 9 - New species
Unidentified juvenile Goniodorididae species
Surface conditions - The entrance stairs
with handrail for the geriatric divers
Noumeaella sp. 2 - New species
Philinopsis sp. - (P. lineolata?)
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus
Analogium amakusanum
Flabellina angelvaldesi - Moving in
to lop of another orange hydroid polyp
Pleurobranchus weberi
Bulbaeolidia alba
Goniodoridella sp. 1
Trinchesia sp. 23
Gymnodoris nigricolor
