Nudibranch Central: Species List: 31-03-2024, Route 66 and back, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Species List: 31-03-2024, Route 66 and back, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

17 species sighted at Route 66 and back, Mooloolah River, La Balsa Park, Buddina, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. 31-03-2024.

A single solo shore entry dive with Gary of 190 minutes, 1.2 m, maximum depth 5.6 m, 25 C on one computer, 23 on the other, water temperature, up to 3 m viz.

After quite a bit of rain and runoff there is finally ambient light on the bottom. With a top layer of fresh water the ambient light on the bottom was Martian style. Shot some vids for the doco and the hunt was on. Cratena lineata were in mass! A Dendrodoris arborescens was nice to record. Idaliadoris maugeansis was the first species to be found at the first bommie. All in all it was a nice challenge!

Special note! Lots of sand has made it's way to the site. Fish Cage is nearly buried. Table Rock is all but gone and the Rocky Field is pretty much gone as well, sad. I feel that the dredging at the river mouth is causing this.

Species and numbers recorded:

Cratena lineata -200+

Dendrodoris arborescens -1

Eubranchus sp. 10 -2

Flabellina lotos -8

Flabellina pseudolotos -1

Goniobranchus daphne -5

Goniodoridella unidonta -1

Gymnodoris sp. 10 -1

Gymnodoris sp. 27 -1

Hypselodoris obscura -2

Idaliadoris maugeansis -2