Monday, February 27, 2017

Species List: 26-02-2017, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

14 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 26-02-2017

Gary solo on this single shore entry dive, of 160 minutes. Maximum depth 6.5 m, 27 C water temperature.

Diving the River is very relaxing yet very rewarding. The more time you spend on the bottom the more you find. During this dive a very striking orange aeolid called Caloria sp. 1 was found, making our Species List 709 species.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Caloria sp. 1 -1 New Species!
Cratena lineata -3
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 -1
Eubranchus sp. 10 -3
Flabellina rubrolineata -4
Goniobranchus daphne -1
Goniobranchus verrieri -2
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -16
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -5
Jorunna sp. 2 -1
Philinopsis falciphallus -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -3
Tenellia sibogae -3

River Entry

Eubranchus sp. 10

Fish Cage

Hypselodoris obscura

Jorunna sp. 2 food source and egg masses

Jorunna sp. 2

Jorunna sp. 2

Hypselodoris obscura

Cratena lineata

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Tenellia sibogae

Tenellia sibogae 2 animals

Flabellina rubrolineata

Caloria sp. 1  New Species!

Caloria sp. 1

Dermatobranchus sp. 7

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Philinopsis falciphallus

Substrate

Flabellina rubrolineata

Flabellina rubrolineata the business end

Pteraeolidia semperi

Substrate

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniobranchus verrieri

Caloria sp. 1

Caloria sp. 1

Caloria sp. 1 

Caloria sp. 1 ventral view

Caloria sp. 1

Friday, February 24, 2017

Species List: 23-02-2017, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

8 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 23-02-2017

Gary and Elliot on this single shore entry afternoon-to-night dive, of 144 minutes. Maximum depth 6.3 m, 27 C water temperature.

It was nice see Flabellina angelvaldesi on this dive and a few Tenellia sibogae.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Dermatobranchus sp. 7 -1
Flabellina angelvaldesi -4
Goniobranchus daphne -4
Goniobranchus splendidus -2
Goniodoridella sp. 01 -3
Hypselodoris obscura -2
* Pteraeolidia semperi -17
Tenellia sibogae -9

Entry point from gear up table

Gary selfie

Hypselodoris obscura

Flatworm

Goniodoridella sp. 01

Goniobranchus splendidus

Dermatobranchus sp. 7

Goniobranchus daphne

Tenellia sibogae

Flatworm

Flabellina angelvaldesi

Flabellina angelvaldesi two animals

Flabellina angelvaldesi

Pteraeolidia semperi

Monday, February 20, 2017

Species List: 17-02-2017, Hancock Shoal, off Mt Peregian (Emu Mountain), Sunshine Coast, Queensland

51 species sighted at Hancock Shoal, off Mt. Peregian (Emu Mountain), Sunshine Coast, Qld, 17-02-2017.

Julie, Terry, Gary and David were joined by Sue & Rogan on this excursion consisting of 1 x 101 minute and 1 x 94 minute dives in water depths from 11 m to 13 m. 12 m viz, 27 C water temp and some surge.

Following the past week of unsettled weather we thoroughly enjoyed the conditions during the trip up to the Hancock Shoal. This area has proved to be one of remarkable diversity. Over 70 different species have been sighted during this and the previous trip there. On this trip we were rewarded with a new species - Discodoris coerulescens. This was revealed after the dives during a review of the images. It appears that we have found this species previously but it had been mixed up with another of our species namely Discodoris lilacina. Whilst similar in appearance there are a number of external differences the most obvious being the opaque white spots around the edge of the mantle.

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

Aegires citrinus -/3
Aegires gardineri  1/-
* Aplysia parvula 10+/10+
Ardeadoris sp. 2 1/-
Berthella martensi  -/1
Berthellina citrina 3/3
Bornella anguilla 1/1
Chromodoris aspersa 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 1/2
Chromodoris sp. 1 -/1
Dendrodoris tuberculosa -/1
Dermatobranchus oculus -/1
Dermatobranchus sp. 8 -/1
Discodoris coerulescens 1/- (New species)
Diversidoris flava -/1
Dolabrifera dolabrifera 3/2
Doriprismatica atromarginata 7/6
Favorinus japonicus 1/-
Flabellina sp. 1 1/1
Glossodoris vespa  3/1
Goniobranchus geometricus  2/-
Goniobranchus reticulatus 1/-
Goniobranchus splendidus 7/2
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 1/-
Halgerda albocristata 1/-
Halgerda tessellata -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 2/1
Hypselodoris emma 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 3/5
Hypselodoris maculosa 2/-
Hypselodoris obscura  1/1
Hypselodoris sagamiensis -/1
Hypselodoris whitei 3/-
Hypselodoris zephyra -/1
Mexichromis festiva 3/-
Mexichromis macropus 2/-
Mexichromis trilineata 8/2
Phyllidia guamensis 1/-
Phyllidia elegans 2/-
Phyllidia exquisita -/1
Phyllidia picta -/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/2
Pleurolidia juliae 1/-
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/2
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum 1/1
Stiliger aureomarginatus -/1
Tenellia sp. 33 -/1
Thuridilla splendens 5/4
Tritoniopsis elegans 3/2

Chromodoris aspersa - not common

Discodoris coerulescens - New species

Dolabrifera dolabrifera

Bornella anguilla

Pleurolidia juliae

Mexichromis festiva

Mexichromis trilineata - six specimens
carving up a sponge

Mexichromis trilineata - singular

Berthellina citrina

Favorinus japonicus 

Aplysia parvula

Glossodoris vespa

Chromodoris sp. 1

Gymnodoris alba

Stiliger aureomarginatus

Halgerda tessellata

Tenellia sp. 33

Diversidoris flava

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Aegires citrinus 

Aegires gardineri

Ardeadoris sp. 2

Berthella martensi - exhibiting autotomy
of mantle segments with gill exposed

Dendrodoris tuberculosa

Dermatobranchus oculus

Goniobranchus splendidus

Hypselodoris sagamiensis - juvenile, maybe

Halgerda albocristata

Hypselodoris jacksoni 

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Sagaminopteron psychedelicum

Thuridilla splendens

Hypselodoris maculosa

Tritoniopsis elegans

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Mexichromis macropus

Phyllidia guamensis

Phyllidia elegans

Goniobranchus reticulatus

Hypselodoris whitei

Flabellina sp. 1

Chromodoris elisabethina

Chromodoris elisabethina - a little different