Monday, July 2, 2018

Species List: 01-07-2018, Hanging Rock, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

19 species sighted at Hanging Rock, Gneering Shoals, off Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 01-07-2018.

Gary and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 83 minute and 1 x 74 minute dives in water depths from 12 m to 15 m. 15 m viz, 20 C water temp and moderate surge.

It’s been some time since we examined the middle portion of the Gneering Shoals so we selected a site we frequently dived in the past called Hanging Rock for this excursion. Sea slug species seemed few and far between and it took a great effort to locate the 19 species we did see. There is also a gutter at this site that we always examined but failed to locate it on this trip much to our disappointment. The Berthellina citrina specimens were all located together under a small plate of dead coral. Finds worth special mention include: Verconia verconiforma, Hypselodoris sagamiensis, Kabeiro sp. 1, Ceratosoma tenue and Dendrodoris nigra.

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

Berthellina citrina 3/-
Ceratosoma tenue -/1
Chromodoris elisabethina 2/-
Chromodoris kuiteri -/1
Dendrodoris nigra 1/1
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Diversidoris flava -/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 3/2
Goniobranchus decorus -/1
Glossodoris vespa -/1
Hypselodoris obscura 2/1
Hypselodoris sagamiensis 1/-
Kabeiro sp. 1 1/-
Phyllidiella lizae 1/-
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/1
Pleurobranchus peronii 1/-
Thuridilla splendens -/2
Tyrannodoris luteolineata 1/-
Verconia verconiforma -/1

Surface conditions at site - a bank of 
thick fog obscuring the mainland

Substrate

Berthellina citrina - 3 specimens

Dendrodoris nigra

Substrate

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Chromodoris kuiteri

Thuridilla splendens

Hypselodoris obscura - head buried 
feeding on sponge

Dermatobranchus rodmani

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Goniobranchus decorus

Verconia verconiforma

The two previous species as they 
appeared naturally to the unaided eye.

Hypselodoris sagamiensis

Kabeiro sp. 1 - feeding on hydroid

Chromodoris elisabethina

Pleurobranchus peronii - juvenile

Tyrannodoris luteolineata

Glossodoris vespa

Ceratosoma tenue - 10 mm specimen

Diversidoris flava