Species List: 29-06-2019, Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

8 species sighted at Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 29-06-2019.

A single solo shore entry night dive by Gary of 103 minutes. Maximum depth 5.5 m, 20 C water temperature and up to 2 m viz.

After a lot of rain and run-off over the past week I drove to river to check out the conditions. The incoming tide made the waters edge looked fairly clear and it was surprising. I then drove home and grabbed the gear. This was going to be night dive. After drifting up river and descending the bottom was dark and lots of particles in the water coloumn. Lights on and search. I realized the bottom and al the rocks were heavily covered in silt. The species count was low. On top of that there was a lot of red weed caught on everything. Flabellina lotos were on their food source and you couldn't see it. When the tide turned it got bad so ended the dive.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata -6
Cratena simba -2
Doto sp. 6 -3
Flabellina lotos -5
Goniodoridella savigny -2
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -14
Hypselodoris obscura -1
Unidentia sp. 1 -1

Night is coming entry

Goniodoridella sp. 1 mating pair

Hypselodoris obscura

Unidentia sp. 1 

Flabellina lotos

Goniodoridella sp. 1 

Goniodoridella savigny

Goniodoridella sp. 1 

Flabellina lotos

Cratena lineata

Doto sp. 6

Cratena simba mating pair

Flabellina lotos

Species List: 22-06-2019, Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld.

24 species sighted at Toilet Block, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Qld, 22-06-2019.

A single shore entry dive by Gary and Jenny of 170 minutes. Maximum depth 6.7 m, 20 C water temperature and up to 6 m viz.

And yet anothers winters dive and a host of nudibranchs with 194 animals being recorded. My big surprise was shooting a Goniodoridella sp. 1 and finding a Costasiella sp. 2 right next to it after I was reviewing the photos at home. The Ceratosoma tenue with a single rhinophore is still a rock ornament. There were a few Pteraeolidia semperi mating pairs as well. The Aeolids recorded were nearly 100. The river continues to impress me.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Austrocylichna leucampyx shell -1
Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Ceratosoma tenue -1
Costasiella sp. 1 -1
Costasiella sp. 2 -1
Cratena lineata -1
Cratena simba -4
Doto sp. 6 -4
Eubranchus sp. 3 -5
Eubranchus sp. 10 -2
Facelina bourailli -4
Flabellina lotos -17
Goniobranchus decorus -1
Goniobranchus daphne -3
Goniodoridella savigny -9
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -59
Goniodoridella sp. 5 -4
Gymnodoris sp. 17 -2
Hypselodoris obscura -7
Philinopsis speciosa -1
Pteraeolidia semperi -58
Tenellia sibogae -2
Tenellia sp. 33 -1
Unidentia sp. 5 -5

Entry with gnome

Jen ready to go

Jen starting her search

Flabellina lotos

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Flabellina lotos

Hypselodoris obscura

Substrate

Doto sp. 6

Doto sp. 6

Eubranchus sp. 10

Pteraeolidia semperi

Pteraeolidia semperi mating pair

Pteraeolidia semperi mating pair close-up

Cratena lineata

Pteraeolidia semperi

Cratena simba

Goniodoridella sp. 1 

Pteraeolidia semperi feeding close-up

Goniodoridella savigny

Ceratosoma tenue

Unidentia sp. 5

Unidentia sp. 5 pair

Philinopsis speciosa

Costasiella sp. 1

Facelina bourailli

Goniodoridella savigny

Goniobranchus daphne

Pteraeolidia semperi mating pair

Goniodoridella sp. 5

Eubranchus sp. 3

Bulbaeolidia alba

Facelina bourailli

Gymnodoris sp. 17

Tenellia sibogae

Flabellina lotos

Goniobranchus decorus

Tenellia sp. 33

Costasiella sp. 2 and Goniodoridella sp. 1

Austrocylichna leucampyx shell

Goniobranchus daphne