Nudibranch Central: August 2020

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Species List: 22-08-2020, Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Qld.

28 species sighted at Fish Cage, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Qld. 22-08-2020.

A single shore entry dive Gary, Fran and Nevar of 230 minutes. Maximum depth 5.9 m, 20 C water temperature up to 10 m viz.

The beginning of the dive was supposed be a 1.6 m tidal flow and felt like a 2.0 m! Once it simmered down all was right. Finding 4 Knoutsodonta maugeansis was great - a real challenge to see the animals. Some species are really on the decline, most likely because the food sources are all gone and have not regrown. And of course finding Cerberilla always makes me smile...

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Atys sp. 8 shell -1
Bulbaeolidia alba -1
Cerberilla sp. 1 -2
Cratena lineata -10
Diacavolinia longirostris shell -1
Doto sp. 3 -1

Elysia sp. 5 -1
* Flabellina lotos -29
Goniobranchus daphne -2
Goniodoridella savignyi -4
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -12
Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1
Haminoea sp. 19 shell -2
Hypselodoris obscura -4
Knoutsodonta maugeansis -4
Liloa brevis shell -2
Philinopsis speciosa -1
Pruvotfolia sp. 1 -1
Retusa amphizosta shell -4
Roxaniella leucampyx shell -1
Tenellia sp. 23 -5
Tenellia sp. 24 -2
Tenellia sp. 32 -2
Thuridilla carlsoni -3
Tornatina sp. 1 shell -1
Unidentia sp. 1 -19
Unidentia sp. 2 -3
Unidentia sp. 3 -7

Entry

Happy

Substrate

Searching

Goniodoridella savignyi

Roxaniella leucampyx

Haminoea sp. 19

Figure on a landscape

Substrate

Flabellina lotos

Substrate

Goniobranchus daphne

Pruvotfolia sp. 1

Retusa amphizosta

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Tenellia sp. 24

Tornatina sp. 1

Philinopsis speciosa

Thuridilla carlsoni

Elysia sp. 5

Knoutsodonta maugeansis x2

Knoutsodonta maugeansis

Cratena lineata

Flabellina lotos

Knoutsodonta maugeansis wit egg masses

Unidentia sp. 2

Tenellia sp. 23

Knoutsodonta maugeansis

Doto sp. 3

Substrate the tower

Tenellia sp. 32

Cerberilla sp. 1

Atys sp. 8

Unidentia sp. 2

Thuridilla carlsoni

Liloa brevis

Diacavolinia longirostris

Half buried Fish Cage

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Species List: 20-08-2020, Rotunda upriver, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Qld.

13 species sighted at Rotunda upriver, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Qld. 20-08-2020.

A single solo shore entry dive Gary of 182 minutes. Maximum depth 4.6 m, 19 C water temperature up to 5 m viz.

Decided to give the Toilet Block a go after a long absence. Shortly after descending the current picked up and I mean picked up. This was a 1.5 m tidal flow and it was ripping! Nearly impossible to get any shots so I worked my way back to the start and decided to dive there in the shallows where the current wasn't as big. Turning over rocks was very successful. Right after high tide the current took off the other way and then it was time to get out! Despite the conditions some very nice species were found. I find it amazing that the species vary so much compared to the other two sites...no bubble-shells, no Unidentias and no Hypselodoris obscuras.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Anteaeolidiella ireneae -1
Bulbaeolidia alba -5
Cratena lineata -7
Dendrodoris nigra -1
Facelina sp. 3 -3
* Flabellina lotos -36
Flabellina sp. 9 -3
Goniodoridella savignyi -5
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -15
Goniodoridella sp. 9 -1
Spurilla braziliana -1
Tenellia sp. 23 -2
Tenellia sp. 49 -1