Saturday, May 21, 2022

Species List: 18-05-2022, Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

 4 species sighted at Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. 18-05-2022.

A single solo shore entry morning with Gary of 110 minutes. Maximum depth 5.9 m, 23 C water temperature, 4 m viz.

First dive of the season in my D7 with new zip dry suit. It worked very nicely! Dry as a chip. No live nudibranchs were found and there was lots of silt. Of the 5 shells recorded 2 new species were found according to Bob Burn.

Species and number thereof sighted:

Atys semistriatus shell -1
Cylichnatys angustus shell -1 NEW SPECIES
Liloa brevis broken shell -1
Retusa minima shell -1 NEW SPECIES

Entry

Clarity

Surface

Substrate

Liloa brevis broken

Retusa minima NEW SPECIES

Cylichnatys angustus NEW SPECIES

Retusa minima NEW SPECIES

Atys semistriatus

Buried rail Fish Cage

Top of Fish Cage


Thursday, May 5, 2022

Species List: 04-05-2022, Upriver Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

 6 species sighted at Upriver Fish Cage, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. 04-05-2022.

A single solo shore entry morning with Gary of 91 minutes. Maximum depth 5.3 m, 23 C water temperature, up to 2 m viz.

The river still has a thick layer of silt hence no live Nudibranchs. I concentrated on the channel sand and found 11 interesting bubble shells including Ringicula doliaris and 3 new species plus one genus update according to Bob Burn! The six Roxaniella leucampyx are most likely variations of the shell with the top remaining the same. Amazing what the sand holds...

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Bakawan rotundata shell -1 NEW SPECIES
Decorifer insignis shell -1 NEW SPECIES
Liloa mongii shell -1
Retusa delicatula shell -1 NEW SPECIES
Ringicula doliaris -1 NEW SPECIES
Roxaniella leucampyx shell -6

Entry

Clarity

Surface

Substrate

Hydroid coming back

Bakawan rotundata  NEW SPECIES

Liloa curta

Roxaniella leucampyx

Retusa delicatula  NEW SPECIES

Roxaniella leucampyx

Roxaniella leucampyx

Substrate

Roxaniella leucampyx

Roxaniella leucampyx

Roxaniella leucampyx

Ringicula doliaris  NEW SPECIES

Decorifer insignis  NEW SPECIES

Fish Cage

Fish Cage

Dead coral


Sunday, May 1, 2022

Species List: 30-04-2022, Nudibranch Day with Sunreef, The Trench, Gneering Shoals, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

 11 species sighted at Nudibranch Day with Sunreef, The Trench, Gneering Shoals, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. 30-04-2022.

A double boat entry dive with Gary and friends of 50/66 minute dives. Maximum depth 19.1 m, 24 C water temperature, 10 m viz.

Today, finally, was good enough weather for Nudibranch Day at Sunreef. Blue water with a bit of roughness greeted us on the way out. A bit of surface current challenged us as we made our way to the anchor line after exit. Pretty clear wtaer and a bit of surge (rate 5) produced a few great to see again species. Chromodoris willani found by Sheryl was a real treat. Recording Goniobranchus kuniei right at the start of the search was a great surprize. I think everyone who saw it smiled! All in all a good outing.

Species and number thereof sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Chromodoris elisabethina -4
Chromodoris kuiteri -3
Chromodoris willani -1
Cratena simba -1
Dermatobranchus oculus -1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata -6
Goniobranchus kuniei -1
Hexabranchus sanguineus -many young
Phyllidia ocellata -1
Phyllidia varicosa -2
Phyllidiella pustulosa -4

Our ride

Hello!

The Team

The exit

Substrate south wall

Substrate south wall

Goniobranchus kuniei

Goniobranchus kuniei

Dermatobranchus oculus

Cratena simba

Chromodoris kuiteri

Cratena simba

Surface

Substrate north wall

Substrate north wall

Chromodoris kuiteri feeding

Hexabranchus sanguineus - many young

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Phyllidia varicosa

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Phyllidia ocellata

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Mermaid!

Chromodoris elisabethina

Goniobranchus kuniei

Chromodoris willani