Species List: 29-01-2018, Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

13 species sighted at Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 29-01-2018.

A single shore entry solo dive by Gary of 154 minutes. Maximum depth 6.1 m, 28 C water temperature and 2 m viz.

The dive started out in a dusky late afternoon with very little tidal flow. The "Fish Cage" was checked and 3 species were found on it. Interesting that a small Bulbaeolidia alba was found on the hydroid of Flabellina rubrolineata. A very interesting Hypselodoris kanga was found at the 3 m mark.  The Eubranchus sp. 10 were out in force as well. All in all a cruisey and enjoyable dive.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Cratena lineata -4
Cratena simba -1
Diversidoris aurantionodulosa -1
* Eubranchus sp. 10 -11
Flabellina rubrolineata -5
Goniobranchus daphne -4
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -3
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris kanga -1
Hypselodoris obscura -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -3

Entry point late afternoon

Fish Cage in the glow

Bulbaeolidia alba

Cratena lineata

Flabellina rubrolineata

Cratena lineata

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Eubranchus sp. 10

Eubranchus sp. 10

Pteraeolidia semperi

Pteraeolidia semperi

Hypselodoris obscura

Cratena simba

Eubranchus sp. 10

Goniobranchus daphne

Hypselodoris kanga

Diversidoris aurantionodulosa

Goniobranchus daphne

Species List: 23-01-2018, Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

9 species sighted at Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 23-01-2018.

A single shore entry dive by Gary and David of 137 minutes. Maximum depth 6.4 m, 28 C water temperature and 4 m viz.

Over two hours of searching only produced 9 species. The juvenile Thuridilla carlsoni had us excited for awhile until we reviewed our pics. We were pleased to find a Facelina sp. 11 cruising the silty substrate as usual. This behaviour leads us to conjecture that it perhaps hunts anemones or individual hydroids out on the sand.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Facelina sp. 11 -1
Flabellina rubrolineata -5
Goniobranchus aureopurpureus -2
Goniobranchus daphne -1
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -11
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -5
Pteraeolidia semperi -7
Thuridilla carlsoni -1

Site entry

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus

Goniobranchus aureopurpureus - gill detail

Substrate

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Substrate

Goniobranchus daphne

Searching the Fish Cage

Thuridilla carlsoni - a juvenile specimen

Flabellina rubrolineata

Flabellina rubrolineata - feeding 

on hydroid polyps

Pteraeolidia semperi

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Hypselodoris obscura

Hypselodoris obscura - rhinophore detail

Facelina sp. 11 - cruising the sand

Species List: 21-01-2018, North West Reef and The Wall both at Old Woman Island, off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, Qld

20 species sighted at North West Reef and The Wall both at Old Woman Island, off Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 21-01-2018.

Julie, Terry, Gary and David on this excursion consisting of a first dive at NW Reef, Old Woman Island of 103 minutes in water depths from 10 m to 13 m, 5 m viz, 26 C water temp with a little surge and a second dive at The Wall, Old Woman Island of 84 minutes in water depths from 5 m to 16 m, 5 m viz, 26 C water temp with a little surge in the shallower parts.

Both sites appeared more silty than usual so perhaps this is responsible for a downturn in species number, apart from the hardy “usual suspects”, given that four divers were searching during long dives and two sites were visited. The only uncommon species sighted was the goniodorid -  Trapania vitta. The second site did prove more productive with 17 species found compared to 11 from the other side of the island.

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

Chromodoris elisabethina -/1
Chromodoris kuiteri 4/6
Chromodoris striatella 1/-
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 1/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 3/9
Glossodoris vespa -/1
* Goniobranchus splendidus 10/1
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Jorunna sp. 3 -/1
Mariaglaja inornata -/1
Phyllidia coelestis 1/1
Phyllidia elegans -/4
Phyllidia ocellata -/3
Phyllidiella lizae 1/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/6
** Pteraeolidia semperi -/21
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/-
Thuridilla splendens 4/9
Trapania vitta 1/-
Tritoniopsis elegans -/4

Chromodoris kuiteri

Goniobranchus splendidus

Trapania vitta

Chromodoris striatella - super teeny tiny

Thuridilla splendens - anterior aspect

Phyllidia ocellata

Doriprismatica atromarginata - a slime

Phyllidia elegans

Gymnodoris alba

Chromodoris elisabethina

Dermatobranchus sp. 7

The dive platform

Looking south east to the island 

from the first site

Substrate

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Pteraeolidia semperi - large numbers 

on the sand at the base of the wall

Glossodoris vespa

Looking north east to the island 

from the second site

Thuridilla splendens - a common 

species at the island

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Tritoniopsis elegans 

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Phyllidiella lizae

A slime of Phyllidiella pustulosa

Jorunna sp. 3

Substrate showing soft and hard corals

Tritoniopsis elegans - showing high rhinophore 

sheaths and pulpit-type rhinophores