Species List: Coral Boulders, Arkwright Shoals, off Coolum, Sunshine Coast, 05-05-2014

32 species found at Coral Boulders, Arkwright Shoals, off Coolum, Sunshine Coast.
Terry & David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 102 minute and 1 x 83 minute dives in water depths from 12m to 15m. 12m viz, 22C water temp and no surge.

We returned to the vicinity of our Saturday shore dive only this time by boat and about a nautical mile further off shore on the Arkwright Shoals. On our previous trip to this particular site late last year the viz was poor and we did not get to appreciate the topography. This time on arriving at the bottom the trenches, ridges and rock bommies in the sand were laid out before us. Whilst the species count was satisfying we just had the impression that there were not the usual numbers of specimens. Although we should not complain about the 22C water temperature the long dives do take a toll on the body temperature so it will be drysuits all around from now on - winter has arrived for the wusses on the Sunshine Coast.

Number of species sighted: 1st dive/2nd dive
* Species with highest specimen count

Aegires citrinus 1/-
Aegires flores -/2
Ardeadoris aff. averni 1/2
Bornella anguilla 2/4
Chelidonura inornata -/2
Chromodoris elisabethina 1/1
Chromodoris kuiteri -/3
Chromodoris striatella -/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus 6/3
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 8/6
Elysia sp. 11 1/-
Glossodoris vespa 2/2
Goniobranchus splendida  3/2
Gymnodoris alba 1/-
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/4
Hypselodoris obscura -/1
Jorunna sp. 3 1/1
Mexichromis macropus 1/-
Nembrotha purpureolineata -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 3/6
Phyllidiella lizae -/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/3
Phyllodesmium magnum 2/-
Pteraeolidia ianthina 6/3
Roboastra luteolineata -/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 2/-
Trinchesia sibogae 1/-
Trinchesia sp. 1 1/1
Tritoniopsis alba 1/1

Substrate

Gymnodoris alba

Bornella anguilla

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Tritoniopsis alba

Hypselodoris jacksoni

Chromodoris kuiteri

Surface conditions - doesn't get much better

Phyllodesmium magnum

Jorunna sp. 3

Aegires citrinus - a juvenile 

with black tipped rhinophores

Glossodoris vespa

Phyllidia ocellata

Goniobranchus splendida

Mexichromis macropus - testing the waters

Hexabranchus sanguineus

Dermatobranchus ornatus - a mating pair 

with observer

Chromodoris elisabethina

Ardeadoris aff. averni

Phyllidiella lizae

Juvenile Dermatobranchus rodmani - we think

Trinchesia sp. 1 - on hydroid food

Nembrotha purpureolineata

Nembrotha purpureolineata

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Chelidonura inornata - laying egg cocoon

Chromodoris striatella

Elysia sp. 11 - found on Codium

Species List: Yaroomba Beach, Point Arkwright, Coolum, Sunshine Coast, 03-05-2014

14 species found on a single shore dive at Yaroomba Beach, Point Arkwright, Coolum, Sunshine Coast.
Julie, Jodie (Reef Check), Terry and David on this 96 minute dive to depths of 8.5 m. Viz to 4m, 22C water temp and very slight surge.

Westerly winds bring with them the rare opportunity to dive from open ocean beaches enabling us to examine a habitat denied us for most of the year. The swim was quite long but not difficult. The first species spotted was Gymnodoris alba and in substantial numbers for these opisthobranch hunters. We were not able however to spot which species they were feeding upon.

* Species with the highest specimen count

Bornella anguilla 1
Bulbaeolidia alba 1
Chromodoris splendida 3
Dendrodoris fumata 2
Elysia pusilla 1
Gymnodoris alba 10
Hypselodoris obscura 2
Mexichromis trilineata 1
Miamira magnifica 1
Phyllidiella lizae 1
* Pteraeolidia ianthina 12
Spurilla braziliana 1
Trinchesia sibogae 1
Tritoniopsis alba 1

Surface conditions on the swim out

Tritoniopsis alba

Elysia pusilla 

Gymnodoris alba

Trinchesia sibogae

Chromodoris splendida

Miamira magnifica

Bornella anguilla

Spurilla braziliana

Spurilla braziliana

A minuscule Mexichromis trilineata on the glove

A pair of Dendrodoris fumata

Hypselodoris obscura

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast, 02-05-2014

8 species sighted on a single shore dive on the high tide at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast.
Julie, Terry & David on this 132 minute dive in water depths to 6m. Max 3m viz and 21C water temp.

With the weather forecast advising us that boating activities were out of the question we decided to revisit the Mooloolah River to gauge whether the recent rains had flushed out all the marine life. The river was a busy place with channel sculpting and hydrographic surveys being undertaken and the trawlers and other small craft being forced to use the very edges of the channel. We opted to work further upstream than previously to avoid the worst of this traffic. Visibility was reasonable on the last of the incoming tide but deteriorated rapidly on the turn as a result of the channel works. Nevertheless we were not disappointed with very high numbers of the recently found Unidentia angelvaldesi sighted. Also our 572nd species was found at the very last moment of the dive - Trinchesia sp. 23.

* Species with the highest specimen count

Flabellina rubrolineata 1
Goniobranchus daphne 3
Goniodoridella savignyi 2
Goniodoridella sp. 1 5
Hypselodoris obscura 3
Pteraeolidia ianthina 8
Trinchesia sp. 23 1 (New species)
* Unidentia angelvaldesi 64+

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Goniobranchus daphne

Hypselodoris obscura

Unidentia angelvaldesi

Unidentia angelvaldesi

The hydroid on which 

Unidentia angelvaldesi feeds

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Goniodoridella sp. 1 - mating pair

Goniodoridella savignyi

Flabellina rubrolineata

Trinchesia sp. 23 (New species)

Trinchesia sp. 23