Nudibranch Central: March 2020

Monday, March 23, 2020

Species List: 23-03-2020, Rotunda upriver, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Qld.

7 species sighted at Rotunda upriver, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Qld. 23-03-2020.

A single shore entry solo dive by Gary of 125 minutes. Maximum depth 5.4 m, 25 C water temperature and up to 4 m viz.

With all the rain we have had the river was no longer brown, so naturally I decided to see what was on the bottom. Lately a dredger was been working in the river which probably has put about 50 mm of thick silt on the sand and rocks. Goniodoridella sp. 1 continues to be the most common. Because of the layer of silt the numbers of bubble shells was nearly none...found one!

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata -4
Flabellina lotos -2
Goniodoridella savignyi -2
* Goniodoridella sp. 1 -140
Roxaniella leucampyx shell -1
Unidentia sp. 1 -4
Unidentia sp. 5 -1

Early morning entry

Substrate

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Substrate - 'High Rise'

Substrate

Flabellina lotos

Cratena lineata

Unidentia sp. 1

Unidentia sp. 5

Unidentia sp. 1

Substrate

Roxaniella leucampyx

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella savignyi

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella savignyi

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Substrate

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Species List: 21-03-2020, Aladdins Cave and West side, Flinders Reef, Moreton Island, Qld.

10 species sighted at Aladdins Cave and West side, Flinders Reef, Moreton Island, Qld. 21-03-2020.

A double boat entry dive by Gary and David of 53 and 56 minutes. Maximum depth 16.8 m, 27 C water temperature and up to 25 m viz.

A beautiful day called us to Flinders Reef today with Sunreef in 'Wild One' (great dive platform). The viz was too much for me! Water temp 27 C nice. The whole trip was worth everything when Halgerda sp. 4 was located at the base of the stag-horn coral forest. At 120 mm it had just finished laying an egg mass...where is the other one?? This is our newest species no. 907.

Species and number thereof sighted dive 1/dive 2
* Species with highest specimen count

Aegires citrinus 1/-
* Chromodoris elisabethina 2/2
Chromodoris strigata 1/-
Cratena simba 1/-
Diversidoris aurantionodulosa 1/-
Favorinus japonicus 2/-
Goniobranchus tinctorius 1/-
Halgerda sp. 4 -/1 NEW SPECIES
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Thuridilla gracilis -/3