Saturday, December 29, 2018

Species List: 28-12-2018, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

20 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 28-12-2018.

A single shore entry dive by Julie, Terry and David of 136 minutes. Maximum depth 6.0 m, 26 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

The crowds were out and about taking advantage of the beautiful weather we are enjoying and putting parking spaces on the riverside at a premium. Unfortunately this weather is accompanied by wind and swell that have precluded offshore diving in our boats. Nevertheless the River is there to enjoy as it has been for us in such circumstances for almost 5 years now. We were joined by Pete and Kylie Lightower, underwater videographers from Sydney, up here for the Christmas holidays and keen to sample and record the finds in our River. More than half of our finds were aeolids most of which feed upon hydroids that take advantage of the tidal current to feed and bloom. One exception was Phyllodesmium undulatum, a species that feeds upon the polyps of certain red/yellow Melithaea gorgonian corals.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata -3
Dendrodoris arborescens -3
Facelina bourailli -1
* Flabellina rubrolineata -33
Goniobranchus daphne -3
Goniobranchus geometricus -1
Goniodoridella savignyi -2
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -6
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -2
Hypselodoris obscura -1
Philinopsis speciosa -1
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
Phyllodesmium undulatum -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -1
Tenellia sp. 29 -1
Thuridilla carlsoni -1
Unidentia sp. 1 -1
Unidentia sp. 2 -1
Unidentia sp. 4 -1
Unidentia sp. 7 -1

Looking upstream from the entry point

Hypselodoris obscura

Cratena lineata

Goniodoridella savignyi

Flabellina rubrolineata - abundant

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Facelina bourailli

Dendrodoris arborescens

Philinopsis speciosa

Pteraeolidia semperi

Phyllodesmium undulatum on Melithaea

Tenellia sp. 29

Phyllodesmium opalescens

Goniobranchus geometricus 

Gymnodoris sp. 10




Species List: 28-12-2018, Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

21 species sighted at upriver Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 28-12-2018.

A single solo shore dive by Gary on this excursion consisting of 1 x 161 minute dive in water depth up to 5.7 m, 3 m viz, 26 C water temp.

Another inviting day and another interesting dive in the river. Descending after drifing upriver to look at sand, I was surprised to find, as soon as I touched bottom, Costasiella sp. 2 and more after that. Not a single Unidentia species was found! Another Colpodaspis sp. 1 was found but the current swept it away while readying the camera. The water temp was a very comfortable 26C.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Atys semistriatus shell -1
Colpodaspis sp. 1 -1
Costasiella sp. 2 -5
Cratena lineata -4
Dendrodoris arborescens -1
Diversidoris aurantionodulosa -1
Doto sp. 6 -5
Eubranchus sp. 10 -1
Facelina sp. 11 -6
Flabellina rubrolineata -1
Goniobranchus daphne -2
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Goniodoridella savignyi -4
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -9
Goniodoridella sp. 6 -1
Gymnodoris amakusana -3
Hypselodoris obscura -3
Hypselodoris roo -1
Philinopsis speciosa -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -1
Tenellia sp. 24 -1

Entry great weather!

Costasiella sp. 2

Atys semistriatus shell

Facelina sp. 11

Facelina sp. 11

Gymnodoris amakusana

Flabellina rubrolineata

Doto sp. 6

Philinopsis speciosa

Substrate

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Gymnodoris amakusana

Hypselodoris obscura

Philinopsis speciosa

Costasiella sp. 2 pair

Goniodoridella sp. 6 

Pteraeolidia semperi

Substrate

Goniobranchus splendidus and Diversidoris aurantionodulosa

Goniobranchus splendidus

Diversidoris aurantionodulosa

Goniodoridella savignyi

Dendrodoris arborescens

Tenellia sp. 24

Cratena lineata

Hypselodoris roo

Flabellina rubrolineata



Species List: 27-12-2018, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld

16 species sighted at Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 27-12-2018.

A single shore dive by Terry and Julie on this excursion consisting of 1 x 137 minute dive in water depth up to 6m, 2m viz, 25 C water temp.

Despite the holidays the park and carpark were still reasonably quiet today, although there was a lot of boat traffic. Visibility varied during the dive due to a stingray feeding in the sand up-current from us, causing total silt-outs.

Species and number thereof sighted.
*Species with highest specimen count

Biuve fulvipunctata - 1
Cratena lineata - 4
*Flabellina rubrolineata - 42+
Goniobranchus daphne - 5
Goniobranchus decorus - 1
Goniodoridella savignyi - 4
Goniodoridella sp. 1 - 11
Goniodoridella sp. 6 - 1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 - 1
Hypselodoris obscura - 7
Pteraeolidia semperi - 2
Thuridilla carlsoni - 7
Unidentia sp. 1 -1
Unidentia sp. 2 - 2
Unidentia sp. 4 - 1
Unidentia sp. 5 - 2

Goniobranchus daphne

Cratena lineata

Flabellina rubrolineata

Hypselodoris obscura

Unidentia sp. 1

Entry Point


Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Species List: 26-12-2018, Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

17 species sighted at Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 26-12-2018.

A single solo shore dive by Gary on this excursion consisting of 1 x 181 minute dive in water depth up to 6.2 m, 2-3 m viz, 26 C water temp.

The day was looking like a cracker so off to the river I went anticipating huge crowds, but there wasn't. There was a bit of current in the beginning but all in all it was a good dive. Finding Diversidoris aurantionodulosa from under a rock was a great find. Quite a few bubble shells were found as well. I actually thought I had found a Corambe species also from under a rock, but after sending it to Bob Burn, he indentified it as a Polyclad.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Atys semistriatus shell -3
Cratena lineata -3
Diversidoris aurantionodulosa -1
Doto sp. 6 -7
Eubranchus sp. 10 -9
Facelina sp. 11 -2
Flabellina rubrolineata -5
Goniobranchus daphne -4
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -15
Gymnodoris amakusana -2
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -3
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
Retusa sp. 5 shell -4
Thuridilla carlsoni -1
Tornatina sp. 1 shell -3

Entry looked great beautiful day

Thuridilla carlsoni

Corambe looking Polyclad

Atys semistriatus shell

Diversidoris aurantionodulosa

Substrate

Doto sp. 6

Phyllodesmium opalescens

Substrate

Tornatina sp. 1 shell

Retusa sp. 5 shell

a pair of Ovulids

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Facelina sp. 11

Flabellina rubrolineata

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniodoridella savignyi

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Gymnodoris amakusana

Goniobranchus daphne

Eubranchus sp. 10

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Hypselodoris obscura juvenile

Hypselodoris obscura

Fish Cage

Cratena lineata

Eubranchus sp. 10