Species List: 26-04-2019, Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

12 species sighted at Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 26-04-2019.

A single shore entry dive by Gary, David, Itai and Kyle of 133 minutes. Maximum depth 5.3 m, 23 C water temperature and up to 3 m viz.

Can't seem to get away from the river! After the surreal dive the other day we thought we would continue the search. Again the brown layer was on top and with a 1.1m tide the particles were hanging in the water column. The dive resembled a Martian landing...for all we nknew we were on Mars. Pteraeolidia semperi and Goniodoridella sp. 1 were again very common. From under rocks nice nudibranchs were found, Phyllodesmium opalescens and a couple of Cratena sp. 6. There was a golden hydroid with a slime of Tenellia sibogae. Some interesting flatworms and ovulids were found as well.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Cratena simba -1
Cratena sp. 6 -2
Flabellina lotos -7
Goniobranchus daphne -1
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -34
Goniodoridella sp. 5 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -3
Phyllodesmium opalescens -1
* Pteraeolidia semperi -38
Tenellia sibogae -16

After descending, the Martian landing!

Thysanozoon sp. flatworm

Phyllodesmium opalescens

Phyllodesmium opalescens

Pteraeolidia semperi 

Cowrie

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Hypselodoris obscura

Martian substrate

Bulbaeolidia alba 

Flabellina lotos 

Goniodoridella savignyi

Goniobranchus daphne

Pteraeolidia semperi juvenile

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Cratena sp. 6 

Cratena sp. 6 (Is this one distinct from the other one??)

Flabellina lotos

Cratena sp. 6 (Is this one distinct from the other one??)

Cratena simba

Ovulid

Goniodoridella sp. 5 

Tenellia sibogae mating pair

Goniodoridella sp. 1 with egg mass

Tenellia sibogae

Pteraeolidia semperi 

David happy about the dive

Species List: 24-04-2019, Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

18 species sighted at Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 24-04-2019.

A single shore entry dive by Gary, Chris, Anna and Kyle of 120 minutes. Maximum depth 5.4 m, 24 C water temperature and up to 3 m viz.

After quite a bit of rain it was off to the river to see if it was ok to dive. The river on the incoming 1.5 m tide was pretty brown.We did notice blue water coming into the river through the channel and decided to give it a go. Upon descending the viz was about 30 cm, but after that magic happened! The surreal viz turned out to be 2-3 m+ with an orange-brown layer overhead giving the substrate an orange look that proved quite nice for searching. The highlights were another Costasiella sp. 1 found quite early and Ceratosoma tenue laying an egg mass.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bulbaeolidia alba -2
Ceratosoma tenue -2
Costasiella sp. 1 -1
Costasiella sp. 2 -1
Cratena lineata -1
Cratena simba -1
Cratena sp. 6 -1
Flabellina lotos -2
Goniobranchus collingwoodi -1
Goniobranchus daphne -5
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Goniodoridella savignyi -2
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -48
Goniodoridella sp. 5 -1
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Hypselodoris obscura -11
Pteraeolidia semperi -32
Tenellia sibogae -8

Brown river entry

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Substrate

Hypselodoris obscura

Costasiella sp. 1

Substrate

Hypselodoris obscura twisting

Chris getting serious

Goniodoridella sp. 1 mating pair

The surreal channel marker

Goniodoridella savignyi

Hypselodoris obscura

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniobranchus splendidus

Flabellina lotos

Pteraeolidia semperi

Bulbaeolidia alba

Gymnodoris sp. 10

Tenellia sibogae mating slime

Ceratosoma tenue

Ceratosoma tenue laying eggs

Looking up the surreal water column

Pteraeolidia semperi juvenile

Tenellia sibogae

Goniodoridella sp. 5

Cratena sp. 6

Cratena lineata

Costasiella sp. 2

Ceratosoma tenue

Goniobranchus collingwoodi

Cratena simba