Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 100 minute and 1 x 91 minute dives in water depths from 10 m to 15 m. 10 m viz, 26 C water temp and some surge in the shallower parts.
Any one who possessed any type of watercraft seemed to be out on the water this Australia Day. The Gneering Shoals, Old Woman Island and the Arkwright Shoals were very busy places so we headed further north to the Hancock Shoals and almost had the place to ourselves. We have only dived here a couple of times so we were looking forward to seeing what awaited us below. A good depth cross section enabled us to spend at least some time out of the surge. Apart from a great species count and some not-so-common species we added two new species to our Sunshine Coast list.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires gardineri 2/-
Aplysia parvula 16/-
Ardeadoris averni 1/-
Ardeadoris rubroannulata -/1
Berthella martensi 1/-
Bornella anguilla 1/2
Bulbaeolidia alba 1/-
Chromodoris sp. 1 -/1
Dendrodoris denisoni -/1
Dermatobranchus sp. 8 1/1
Dolabrifera dolabrifera 1/-
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 16/18
Elysia maoria 1/2
Flabellina bicolor 2/1
Glossodoris vespa 3/2
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -/1
Goniobranchus geometricus -/1
Goniobranchus reticulatus -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 6/7
Goniodoridella savignyi -/2
Gymnodoris sp. 7 -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hypselodoris bullockii -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 6/3
Hypselodoris maculosa 1/-
Hypselodoris maritima -/1
Hypselodoris obscura 1/2
Hypselodoris whitei 2/2
Mexichromis festiva -/1
Mexichromis macropus 1/-
Mexichromis trilineata 1/-
Phyllidia exquisita 3/-
Phyllidia guamensis -/1 (New species)
Phyllidia ocellata 1/-
Phyllidia picta 1/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/2
Phyllidiopsis burni -/1
Phyllodesmium crypticum 1/-
Phyllodesmium macphersonae 2/-
Roboastra luteolineata 1/2
Sagaminopteron ornatum 1/2
Tenellia sp. 43 -/1 (New Species)
Thuridilla neona 1/-
Thuridilla splendens 4/4
Tritoniopsis elegans 3/4
Tylodina corticalis -/1
Hypselodoris maculosa
Thuridilla splendens
Dolabrifera dolabrifera
Phyllodesmium crypticum
Thuridilla splendens - the feeding end
Bulbaeolidia alba
Mexichromis macropus
Thuridilla neona
Aplysia parvula
Chromodoris sp. 1
Glossodoris vespa
Roboastra luteolineata
Phyllidia guamensis - New species
Goniobranchus collingwoodi
Gymnodoris sp. 7
Hypselodoris whitei
Ardeadoris averni
Bornella anguilla
Dendrodoris denisoni
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Tritoniopsis elegans - a pair
Tylodina corticalis
Aegires gardineri - a pair
Goniobranchus geometricus
Ardeadoris rubroannulata
Hypselodoris bullockii
Phyllodesmium macphersonae
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Substrate
Phyllidia picta
Elysia maoria
Berthella martensi
Hypselodoris jacksoni - chewing out a cavity
Phyllidia exquisita
Goniobranchus splendidus
Substrate - looking along the face of the ledge
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Mexichromis trilineata
Surface conditions - looking south to Coolum
Goniobranchus reticulatus
One of the large boulders at the site
Sagaminopteron ornatum
Goniodoridella savignyi
Tenellia sp. 43 - New Species
Mexichromis festiva
