Species List: 17-02-2018, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

10 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 17-02-2018.

A single shore entry dive by Julie, Terry and David of 132 minutes. Maximum depth 6.4 m, 26 C water temperature and 2 m viz.

Quite a strong tidal current was encountered for the first 30 minutes. Nothing exceptional to report except the species count is quite low and being further upstream again no Unidentia of any type were sighted. The two species of Noumeaella are not common and were found in close proximity to each other.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Flabellina rubrolineata -4
Goniobranchus daphne -4
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -12
Gymnodoris sp. 8 -1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -7
Noumeaella sp. 1 -1
Noumeaella sp. 2 -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -4

Hypselodoris obscura

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniobranchus daphne

Gymnodoris sp. 8 

Noumeaella sp. 2

Noumeaella sp. 1

Flabellina rubrolineata

Bulbaeolidia alba

Species List: 16-02-2018, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld

11 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 16-02-2018.

A single shore entry dive by Terry and David of 146 minutes. Maximum depth 6.1 m, 27 C water temperature and 4 m viz.

A little way upstream from the previous dive and absolutely no Unidentia of any type sighted. We were fortunate however to find two specimens of a new species for the Sunshine Coast (and Mooloolah River) in Goniodoridella sp. 7. This has been on the Goniodoridella sp. 5 page as a variation, for six months, but now that we have found more specimens and been able to examine it more closely we can confirm it is a new species - different extrabranchial processes, a white foot (not red spotted) and a different colour pattern. Facelina sp. 11 is not a common species but 10 specimens were sighted on this dive most of which appeared to be hunting out on the sand.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena simba -1
Facelina sp. 11 -10
Flabellina rubrolineata -5
Goniobranchus daphne -3
Goniobranchus decorus -1
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -12
Goniodoridella sp. 7 -2 (New species)
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -11
Pteraeolidia semperi -6
Tenellia sibogae -1

Cratena simba 

Pteraeolidia semperi 

Facelina sp. 11

Goniodoridella sp. 7 - New species

Gymnodoris sp. 9

Hypselodoris obscura

Flabellina rubrolineata

Goniobranchus decorus

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Species List: 13-02-2018, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

14 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 13-02-2018.

A single evening shore entry dive by Julie, Terry and David of 123 minutes. Maximum depth 6.1 m, 28 C water temperature and 4 m viz.

A weak tidal current greeted us upon entry and the visibility was reasonable. Not a long list of sightings - perhaps we were distracted by all the different ovulids on show. The Unidentia have returned but not only that, it would seem there are a few variations present that should be addressed and we commence that here.

Flabellina angelvaldesi is now reverted to Unidentia angelvaldesi which however is an Eastern Pacific species therefore we will now be calling what we have on the website as three variations of Flabellina/Unidentia angelvaldesi - Unidentia sp. 1, Unidentia sp. 2, Unidentia sp. 3. Flabellina sp. 5 will now be called Unidentia sp. 4. We have raised three new undescribed Unidentia for our survey species list. These may very well prove to be variations of the one, or more, species however this will ensure we do not lose sight of these different looking specimens.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Atys semistriatus -2
Cratena simba -1
Flabellina rubrolineata -1
Goniobranchus daphne -2
Gymnodoris sp. 17 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -2
Pteraeolidia semperi -12
Rostanga sp. 1 -1
* Tenellia sibogae -16
Unidentia sp. 2 -1
Unidentia sp. 4 -2
Unidentia sp. 5 -3
Unidentia sp. 6 -1
Unidentia sp. 7 -1

Unidentia sp. 4

Goniobranchus daphne

Tenellia sibogae

Unidentia sp. 7

Unidentia sp. 2

Unidentia sp. 6

Unidentia sp. 5

Unidentia sp.5

Rostanga sp. 1

Species List: 11-02-2018, Rotunda, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

7 species sighted at Rotunda, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 11-02-2018.

A single shore entry dive by Terry and Julie of 85 minutes. Maximum depth 5.2 m, 27 C water temperature and 4 m viz.

Being a nice day with little current flow the dive was very relaxing. The numbers of critters is still down although there appeared to be a fair amount of hydroid. In addition the sponges were covered in silt and algae. The Goniobranchus geometricus was a nice find.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata -2
Flabellina rubrolineata -4
Goniobranchus daphne - 6
Goniobranchus geometricus -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -4
Hypselodoris obscura -4
*Pteraeolidia semperi - 8

 Cratena lineata underside

 Hypselodoris obscura

 Pteraeolidia semperi

 Flabellina rubrolineata

 Goniobranchus geometricus

 The Pylon

 Goniodoridella sp. 1

 Goniobranchus daphne

 Pteraeolidia semperi juvenle

 Cratena lineata

 Flabellina rubrolineata on the attack

Goniodoridella sp. 1 juvenile

Species List: 11-02-2018, Boardwalk area, Bulcock Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

4 species sighted at the Boardwalk area, Bulcock Beach, Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 11-02-2018.

Julie on this shore entry drift dive of 60 minutes, 28 C water temp and 2 m visibility.

The plan was to do a Reef Check survey dive at Kings Beach boat ramp, but with the carpark full and the water crowded with surfers, it was a good indication that the swell was too big for the survey. On to Plan B and set up a new site along the boardwalk at Bulcock Beach.  The site contains some hydroids and a lot of sponges so there may be more critters if you had the time for a dedicated search.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Flabellina rubrolineata -2
Goniobranchus sp. 2 -1
*Pteraeolidia semperi -4
Tenellia sibogae -1

Pteraeolidia semperi

Goniobranchus sp. 2 

Flabellina rubrolineata

Tenellia sibogae

Species List: 11-02-2018, Coles Hole and Clown Reef, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

17 species sighted at Coles Hole and Clown Reef, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 11-02-2018.

David undertook two dives on this excursion:
First dive at Coles Hole: 52 minutes in water depths from 17 m to 20 m. 15 m viz, 26 C water temp, slight surge.
Second dive at Clown Reef: 57 minutes in water depths from 15m to 20 m. 18 m viz 26 C water temp and some slight surge in the shallower parts.

These dives were organized by Sunreef Dive, Mooloolaba on their Nudibranch Day monthly charter. Twelve intrepid divers (9 women & 3 men) braved the rising seas to participate in one of their favourite pastimes - finding & photographing nudibranchs. Listed below are the species I sighted. Numbers sighted, both species and specimen, continue to be low. No aeolids sighted at either site. It appears there might be a "rhinophore nipper" at work out at Coles Hole as both the Halgerda and Diversidoris were missing their second one.

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

Cadlinella ornatissima -/1
Ceratosoma tenue 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina -/2
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/1
Chromodoris sp. 1 1/-
Dermatobranchus oculus 1/-
Diversidoris flava 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 1/2
Glossodoris vespa -/1
Goniobranchus geometricus -/1
Halgerda sp. 3 1/-
Phyllidia elegans 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/3
Phyllidiella lizae 1/-
* Phyllidiella pustulosa 1/3
Thuridilla splendens 1/1

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Phyllidia elegans

Ceratosoma tenue

Diversidoris flava

Halgerda sp. 3

Thuridilla splendens

Phyllidia varicosa - mating pair

Chromodoris kuiteri

Goniobranchus geometricus

Cadlinella ornatissima