Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 92 minute and 1 x 81 minute dives in water depths from 14 m to 17 m. 25 m viz (measured), 19 C water temp and no surge.
The westerly winds have knocked down any remaining swell allowing us a good run across the bar and up the coast to the dive site. It's time to do the rounds of all the "Nudi" sites again and Nudi 3 is first off the mark. The viz is the best it's been for a long long time giving us an incredible vista for a Currimundi site. A good swag of species again. A Dermatobranchus we have called sp. 9 appears to be a new species in exhibiting a combination of features that we haven't seen before. Trapania euryeia is a species we rarely sight, this time being found under a plate type sponge eating kamptozoans (entoprocts). The one labelled Dermatobranchus sp. 7 is different to those seen previously having a blue/grey mantle but still a white oral veil.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires flores 1/-
Aegires gardineri 1/-
Ardeadoris sp. 2 3/6
Bornella anguilla 1/1
Chromodoris elisabethina 3/-
Chromodoris striatella -/1
Cratena lineata -/2
Dermatobranchus fasciatus 1/-
Dermatobranchus oculus 3/5
Dermatobranchus ornatus 3/4
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 -/1 (Blue/grey mantle ??)
Dermatobranchus sp. 9 -/1 (New species)
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
*Doriprismatica atromarginata 21/26
Glossodoris vespa 1/1
Goniobranchus daphne -/1
Goniobranchus geometricus 2/2
Goniobranchus reticulatus -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 4/4
Goniodoridella savignyi -/2
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 8/5
Hypselodoris obscura 1/-
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 3/-
Phyllidia ocellata 2/2
Phyllidia picta 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 3/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/2
Pleurolidia juliae 3/-
Pteraeolidia semperi 2/2
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/2
Tornatina sp. 1 1/-
Trapania euryeia -/2
Trinchesia sp. 3 1/-
Trapania euryeia
Trapania euryeia - taxonomic
Dermatobranchus sp. 9 - New species
Dermatobranchus sp. 9 - taxonomic
Surface conditions
Pteraeolidia semperi
Chromodoris striatella
Cratena lineata
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Goniobranchus splendidus
Ardeadoris sp. 2
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Phyllidiella lizae
Goniobranchus geometricus
Aegires flores
Pleurolidia juliae
Phyllidia picta
Phyllidia ocellata
Dermatobranchus fasciatus
Dermatobranchus oculus
Tornatina sp. 1
Substrate
Substrate
Trinchesia sp. 3
Dermatobranchus ornatus
Aegires gardineri
Bornella anguilla
Hypselodoris sagamiensis
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 (Blue/grey mantle ??)
Goniodoridella savignyi
Goniobranchus daphne
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus
Glossodoris vespa
Gymnodoris alba
