Thursday, February 9, 2017

Species List: 07-02-2017, Clown Reef, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

33 species sighted at Clown Reef, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 07-02-2017

Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 72 minute and 1 x 80 minute dives in water depths from 13 m to 19 m. 15 m viz, 24 C water temp and some surge.

The sea was a little lumpy and the swell was running at over a metre so we thought diving a little deeper may be more comfortable for us. The Gneering Shoals beckoned and we headed out there in the hope that the strong current we encountered last time had ceased. Clown Reef on the Outer Gneerings was the specific destination as it provides a range of depths that can be useful to negate the effects of swell. Blue water and zero current greeted us on arrival. This site has substantial hard coral cover compared to many of our other sites so although the species count is lower there were some special finds. Some of those worth a mention are Limenandra confusa, Goniobranchus roboi, Aegires incusus and Aegires hapsis, all rarely sighted.

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

Aegires citrinus 1/-
Aegires hapsis -/1
Aegires incusus 1/-
Ceratosoma tenue 1/-
Chelidonura inornata 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 3/2
Chromodoris kuiteri 2/2
Chromodoris lochi 1/-
Chromodoris striatella 1/-
Chromodoris strigata -/1
Cratena lineata 2/-
Cratena simba 1/-
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 9/10
Elysia sp. 11 2/-
Flabellina rubrolineata -/1
Glossodoris vespa 2/1
Goniobranchus decorus 1/1
Goniobranchus geometricus -/1
Goniobranchus roboi -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 4/3
Hypselodoris maculosa 1/2
Hypselodoris whitei 1/1
Limenandra confusa 1/-
Mexichromis trilineata 1/-
Phyllidia elegans 1/-
Phyllidia varicosa 2/-
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/2
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/-
Roboastra luteolineata -/1
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum -/2
Thuridilla splendens 5/4

Glossodoris vespa

Chromodoris striatella

Limenandra confusa - ploughing
 through the substrate growth

Limenandra confusa - revealed

Chromodoris elisabethina

Goniobranchus roboi

Roboastra luteolineata

Cratena lineata

Elysia sp. 11

Aegires incusus

Chelidonura inornata

Hypselodoris maculosa

Aegires hapsis

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Chromodoris strigata

Looking, looking, looking.

Substrate

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Hypselodoris whitei

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Aegires citrinus

Mexichromis trilineata

Phyllidia varicosa

Ceratosoma tenue

Surface conditions

Goniobranchus geometricus

Thuridilla splendens

Chromodoris kuiteri

Sagaminopteron psychedelicum

Chromodoris lochi

Goniobranchus decorus

Phyllidiopsis burni