Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 70 minute and 1 x 71 minute dives in water depths from 16 m to 20 m. 15 m viz, 24 C water temp and a little surge.
Conditions were much improved compared to our excursion out to the Gneerings last week. Very pleasant dives on interesting terrain and a good cross section of sea slugs were sighted. A little deeper in parts than our usual profile. The outstanding find of the trip was Euselenops luniceps and not so much as a species but rather by the way it was sighted. On the ascent after the first dive it was observed to be swimming in the water column at 10 metres depth. Doris sp. 1 is only sighted rarely and the Phyllidiopsis xishaensis only once before by us. We follow Yonow, 2002 in giving it this name.
Number of each species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count
Aegires citrinus 1/-
Berthellina citrina -/1
Carminodoris nodulosa -/1
Chelidonura inornata -/1
* Chromodoris elisabethina 3/5
Chromodoris sp. 1 -/1
Cratena lineata 1/-
Dermatobranchus oculus 1/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus 1/-
Dermatobranchus rodmani 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 3/2
Doris sp. 1 1/-
Euselenops luniceps 1/-
Flabellina sp. 1 -/1
Flabellina rubrolineata 2/-
Glossodoris vespa 1/1
Goniobranchus collingwoodi 1/-
Halgerda aurantiomaculata -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 3/-
Hypselodoris obscura 1/2
Hypselodoris sp. 2 3/-
Hypselodoris sp. 6 1/-
Mexichromis trilineata 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata -/1
Phyllidia picta -/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/2
Phyllidiopsis cardinalis 1/1
Phyllidiopsis xishaensis -/1
Phyllodesmium sp. 2 -/1
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum 1/-
Tenellia sp. 6 2/-
Tenellia sp. 33 2/-
Thorunna daniellae -/1
Thorunna sp. 4 1/-
Thuridilla carlsoni 1/-
Thuridilla splendens 3/1
Tritoniopsis elegans -/1
Verconia simplex 2/-
Aegires citrinus
Glossodoris vespa
Cratena lineata
Hypselodoris sp. 6
Halgerda aurantiomaculata
Surface conditions
Phyllidiopsis xishaensis
Towards the surface
Phyllidiopsis cardinalis
Goniobranchus collingwoodi
Verconia simplex
Hypselodoris sp. 2
Thorunna sp. 4
Mexichromis trilineata
Flabellina sp. 1
The dive platform
Substrate
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Hypselodoris obscura
Hypselodoris jacksoni
Thuridilla splendens
Hexabranchus sanguineus
Doris sp. 1
Surface interval
Swimming Euselenops luniceps
Phyllidiella pustulosa
Chromodoris elisabethina
Carminodoris nodulosa
Chelidonura inornata
Phyllidia ocellata
Berthellina citrina
