Sunday, October 1, 2017

Species List: 30-9-2017, Poor City, northern side of Old Woman Island, off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, Qld

23 species sighted at Poor City, northern side of Old Woman Island, off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 30-9-2017.

Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 89 minute and 1 x 70 minute dives in water depths from 10 m to 13 m. 8 m viz, 22 C water temp and some occasional slight surge from a small northerly swell.

We headed to the north side of Old Woman Island to be on the leeward side for when the predicted 15 - 20 knot wind change that was forecast to come in late morning. As it unfolded no such change arrived. With a number of vessels in the vicinity of the sites we wanted we took pot luck and just dropped the pick randomly. There was a paucity of slugs to what we normally encounter but a couple of not-so-common species were amongst those including, Thuridilla albopustulosa, Elysia pusilla and Crimora sp. 1.

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

Ardeadoris sp. 2 4/2
Crimora sp. 1 -/1
Dermatobranchus oculus 1/-
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/1
Elysia pusilla -/1
Glossodoris vespa 2/1
Goniobranchus decorus 1/-
Goniobranchus sp. 6 1/2
Goniobranchus splendidus 7/4
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/2
Hypselodoris obscura 2/-
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata 2/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/1
Pleurobranchus peronii -/1
Tenellia sp. 24 1/-
Thuridilla albopustulosa 2/-
* Thuridilla splendens 9/3
Tornatina sp. 1 (shell) 1/-
Tritoniopsis elegans 2/1-

Thuridilla albopustulosa - one of two 
sighted on the day

Tornatina sp. 1 - shell

Goniobranchus splendidus

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Tritoniopsis elegans - a juvenile 
with a big meal in front of it

Thuridilla splendens

Ardeadoris sp. 2

Elysia pusilla on Halimeda - note the 
contracted rhinophores - unusual behaviour

Filling the water tank for a hot shower post dive

Substrate

Phyllidiella lizae

Substrate

Phyllidia ocellata

Tenellia sp. 24

Surface conditions
Looking south to the island

Goniobranchus sp. 6

Pleurobranchus peronii

Crimora sp. 1 - note black gills 
- feeding on encrusting bryozoans

Dermatobranchus oculus

Dermatobranchus tuberculatus

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Substrate showing variety of soft and hard corals 
with a stunning Centropyge bicolor (say no more)

Hexabranchus sanguineus