18 species sighted at Fish Cage to Point Rock and back, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. 24-02-2024.
A single solo shore entry dive with Gary of 181 minutes, 1.9 m, maximum depth 6.0 m, 28 C water temperature, up to 3 m viz.
Before visitors arrive it is time to dive. I got in 2 and half hours before a 1.9 m high tide. After not diving for a week I was blown away by how many nudibranchs there were! Cratena lineata has exploded and so has the orange hydroid. Murphydoris cobbi seemed to be in and on every rock. Seeing 5 Dermatobranchus sp. 16 in one little rock was amazing. I really don't care what others say about the diversity of this river, I can say it has the Wow factor.
Species and numbers recorded:
Cratena lineata -150+
Dermatobranchus sp. 16 -5
Eubranchus sp. 10 -8
Flabellina lotos -26
Goniobranchus daphne -5
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
Goniodoridella unidonta -4
Haminoea sp. shell -1
Hypselodoris obscura -3
Hypselodoris sp. 10 -1
Liloa brevis shell -3
Murphydoris cobbi -200+
Retusa sp. 6 shell -1
Tenellia sibogae (yellow) -8
Tenellia sp. 70 -6
Unidentia sp. 1 -35
Unidentia sp. 3 -2
Unidentia sp. 14 -26
Early entry
Clarity
Surface
Substrate upon descent
Murphydoris cobbi
Murphydoris cobbi x2
Murphydoris cobbi x2
Substrate
Goniobranchus daphne
Murphydoris cobbi
Murphydoris cobbi mating pair
Someone is watching
Unidentia sp. 14
Unidentia sp. 1
Tenellia sp. 70
Flabellina lotos
Cratena lineata
Substrate
Look up
Unidentia sp. 3
Unidentia sp. 1
Unidentia sp. 1 x2
Cratena lineata
Urchin
Liloa brevis
Flabellina lotos
Flabellina lotos x2
Flabellina lotos
Tenellia sp. 70
Gothum City
Tenellia sibogae x2 and Tenellia sp. 70
Goniodoridella unidonta and a juvenile below
Hypselodoris obscura
Substrate with hydroids
Cratena lineata
Growing!
A friend
Gothum City
Goniobranchus daphne
Tenellia sibogae
Eubranchus sp. 10 x3
Eubranchus sp. 10
Dermatobranchus sp. 16 x2
Dermatobranchus sp. 16 x2
Dermatobranchus sp. 16 x5
Goniodoridella savignyi
Murphydoris cobbi x3
Hypselodoris obscura
Flabellina lotos x2
Eubranchus sp. 10 x2
Substrate
Seal Rock
Hypselodoris sp. 10
Haminoea sp.
