Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 28-05-2016.

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

Julie, Terry Gary & David on this single shore entry dive of 141 minutes. Maximum depth 6.0 m, 23 C water temperature and 4 m viz.

It beggars belief that we can dive the same site over and over again and as well as seeing the usual suspects we can still turn up something new to add to our list. So it was on this dive when Trapania miltabrancha was discovered on a kamptozoan (entoprocts) encrusted sponge. A small Lomanotus specimen was found on a hydroid but being so small and somewhat damaged it is difficult to accurately identify. It has some similarities to our Lomanotus sp. 1 so we have listed it under that name for now.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Elysia pusilla -1
Elysia sp. 11 -1
* Flabellina angelvaldesi -100+
Flabellina sp. 4 -2
Goniobranchus daphne -5
Goniobranchus decorus -1
Goniobranchus reticulatus -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -50+
Gymnodoris nigricolor -1
Hypselodoris obscura -2
Jorunna parva -1
Lomanotus sp. 1 -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -11
Sebadoris fragilis -1
Trapania miltabrancha -1  New species
Trinchesia sibogae -2
Verconia simplex -1

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniobranchus decorus

Flabellina angelvaldesi 

Sebadoris fragilis

Gymnodoris nigricolor

Elysia pusilla

Trinchesia sibogae - juvenile

Hypselodoris obscura

Trapania miltabrancha - New species

Elysia sp. 11 - missing tail

Goniobranchus daphne 

Flabellina sp. 4

Substrate

Pteraeolidia semperi

Verconia simplex

Jorunna parva

Goniobranchus reticulatus

Species List: King's Beach Boat Ramp, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 27-05-2016

17 species sighted sub-tidally off King's Beach Boat Ramp, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this single shore entry dive of 135 minutes. Maximum depth 5.6 m, 23 C water temp and 4 m viz.

Beautiful conditions greeted us when we arrived at the King's Beach boat ramp for a dive. The swell created some surge but the long period gave intermittent relief. Some of the Asparagopsis seaweed had been dislodged from the substrate but fortunately it had only congregated in certain areas and we did not have to continually deal with it. A reasonable list of sea slug species was compiled with the Stiliger aureomarginatus presenting in large numbers. Placida cremoniana a species we seldom sight was also found.

We now conduct our searching with trepidation as heptadecaphobia is forming in our minds.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Cratena simba -2
Cyerce sp. 1 -3
Dendrodoris fumata -1
Doriprismatica atromarginata -3
Flabellina bicolor -1
Goniobranchus decorus -1
Goniobranchus geometricus -1
Goniobranchus splendidus -2
Gymnodoris okinawae -6
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -5
Hypselodoris zephyra -1
Placida cremoniana -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -1
* Stiliger aureomarginatus -17
Tayuva lilacina -1
Tritoniopsis alba  -1

Gymnodoris okinawae

Goniobranchus geometricus

Stiliger aureomarginatus

Placida cremoniana

Flabellina bicolor 

Goniobranchus decorus

Goniobranchus splendidus

Tritoniopsis alba

Surface conditions

Cratena simba

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Hypselodoris obscura

Hypselodoris zephyra

Searching the substrate

Cyerce sp. 1 - excellent camouflage 

Dendrodoris fumata

Tayuva lilacina

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Species List: Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 25-05-2016

36 species sighted at Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x afternoon dive of 86 minutes and 1 x night dive of 74 minutes in water depths from 13.5 m to 16.5 m. 8 m viz, 23 C water temp and strong but intermittent surge.

With the current stable weather pattern we have been able to rekindle our passion for night diving on the offshore reefs. This is the second in the one week. The Phyllodesmium is a new species for our list and is undescribed. The cerata possess tubercles on all faces rather than just along the edges.

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

Aegires flores 4/1
Aegires citrinus -/2
Aegires gardineri 1/1
Ardeadoris averni -/1
Ardeadoris sp. 2 1/1
Atys semistriatus -/13
Bornella anguilla 1/1
Bornella stellifer -/1
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 1/-
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/-
Chromodoris striatella -/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 13/5
Flabellina rubrolineata 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 2/-
Goniobranchus conchyliatus 1/-
Goniobranchus geometricus 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 2/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 5/8
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris whitei -/2
Hypselodoris zephyra 2/1
Mexichromis festiva 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 4/1
Phyllidia varicosa 1/1
Phyllidiella cooraburrama -/2
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/1
Phyllodesmium sp. 7 -/1 New species
Platydoris sanguinea -/2
Pteraeolidia semperi 1/2
Sagaminopteron ornatum 4/3
Tayuva lilacina  -/1
Thuridilla splendens 3/4
Trinchesia sp. 30 -/1
Tritoniopsis alba 4/3

Bornella anguilla

Phyllidiella lizae

Aegires gardineri

Hypselodoris zephyra

Pteraeolidia semperi

Trinchesia sp. 30

Hypselodoris whitei

Phyllodesmium sp. 7 -  New species

Ardeadoris averni

Bornella stellifer

Surface conditions

Chromodoris kuiteri

Tritoniopsis alba

Goniobranchus conchyliatus 

Mexichromis festiva

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Chromodoris elisabethina

Phyllidia ocellata

Ardeadoris sp. 2

Glossodoris vespa

Atys semistriatus 

Platydoris sanguinea

Phyllidiella cooraburrama

Phyllidia varicosa

Tayuva lilacina

Substrate

Bulbaeolidia alba 

Goniobranchus splendidus

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Aegires flores

Thuridilla splendens

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Chromodoris striatella

Aegires citrinus