Species List: Clown Reef, Gneering Shoals, Sunshine Coast, 20-05-2014

18 species sighted at Clown Reef, Gneering Shoals, Sunshine Coast.
Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 73 minute and 1 x 81 minute dives, in water depths of 15m to 19m. 21C water temp, 6m viz and some surge on top of the reef that dissipated once over the "leeward" edge.

Our original intention was to dive the waters around Old Woman Island but on descending there the viz just deteriorated the deeper we went until we touched the bottom without actually seeing it in 14m of water. We immediately aborted that dive and headed out towards the blinker on the Gneering Shoals looking for cleaner water. Out there on Clown Reef the viz improved but still not to the distance normally expected. The conditions were quite surgy on top but improved as we slipped over edge and worked along the wall. The species count and populations were not large but a couple of not so common species were sighted including Trinchesia sp. 18 a beautiful pink and cream aeolid, quite small and secretive in nature that we have only sighted once previously, up at Coolum.

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

Aegires flores 1/-
Bornella anguilla -/1
* Chromodoris elisabethina -/6
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 2/-
Glossodoris vespa  1/1
Goniobranchus splendidus -/1
Hexabranchus sanguineus 1/1
Jorunna sp. 3 -/1
Mexichromis macropus 1/-
Miamira sinuata -/1
Phyllidia elegans 1/1
Phyllidia ocellata -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 1/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/3
Phyllodesmium crypticum -/1
Thuridilla carlsoni 2/1
Trinchesia sp. 18 1/-

Reasonable surface conditions

Phyllidiella pustulosa

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Mexichromis macropus

Tolerable substrate conditions

Phyllidia ocellata

Bornella anguilla

Phyllidia elegans

Chromodoris elisabethina

Glossodoris vespa

Goniobranchus splendidus

Juvenile Hexabranchus sanguineus

Aegires flores

Phyllodesmium crypticum with its head buried

Phyllodesmium crypticum

Autotomized ceras - Phyllodesmium crypticum

Thuridilla carlsoni

Thuridilla carlsoni

Trinchesia sp. 18 - head buried

Miamira sinuata

Jorunna sp. 3

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast, 14-05-2014

10 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast.
Terry & David on this single shore entry dive of 107 minutes in water depths to 5.5m. Viz up to 3m, 21C water temp.

Our original intention was to dive the Pumicestone Passage but reduced visibility dissuaded us from the attempt due to the concern of inadvertent contact with some of the large population of Stone Fish and other Scorpaenidae known to be there. Plan B was to dive the Mooloolah River so off we went just missing the run up to high tide but experiencing acceptable viz nevertheless. We entered the water at the very end car park towards the river mouth. The recent channel profiling of the river bed has not seriously affected the habitat we explore closer to shore so most of the usual species were sighted with one significant exception. There were no Unidentia angelvaldesi to be seen whatsoever. Most strange given the high numbers of previous dives.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Cratena lineata 1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 2
Facelina sp. 3 1
Goniobranchus daphne 9
Goniodoridella sp. 1 9
Hypselodoris obscura 3
Noumea simplex 1
Phidiana bourailli 1
* Pteraeolidia ianthina 34
Trinchesia sibogae 6

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Noumea simplex

Trinchesia sibogae

Dermatobranchus cf. primus

Goniobranchus daphne

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Cratena lineata

Facelina sp. 3

Facelina sp. 3

Phidiana bourailli

Species List: Nudi Ledge, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast, 12-05-2014

29 species sighted at Nudi Ledge, Currimundi Reef, Sunshine Coast.
Terry & David on this excursion consisting of 1 x 86 minute and 1 x 90 minute dives in water depths from 14m to 17m. 15m viz, 22C water temp and no surge.

The forecast of 10 - 15 knots winds we thought would be manageable and so it was. Our mindset has definitely been influenced by the 5 - 10 knot days that we occasionally enjoy - but not often enough. The constant joggling of the boat whilst we were on the surface has given us tired legs from continual compensation to keep our balance. Conditions below were ideal for this site. We missed the actual ledge but reeled up to it taking our time to inspect the flats on the way. All the old favourites were there to greet us as well as a few of those not too often sighted.

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

Ardeadoris aff. averni -/2
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Bornella anguilla -/3
Cadlinella ornatissima 1/1
Chelidonura inornata -/1
Chromodoris kuiteri 1/2
Chromodoris striatella 1/1
Dermatobranchus cf. primus 1/-
Dermatobranchus ornatus 2/1
* Doriprismatica atromarginata 5/9
Elysia maoria 1/-
Goniobranchus daphne 1/-
Goniobranchus decorus 1/-
Goniobranchus kuniei -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 1/1
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura 3/3
Jorunna parva 1/-
Lobiger souverbii -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 5/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 2/2
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/3
Protaeolidiella juliae -/1
Pteraeolidia ianthina 2/1
Roboastra luteolineata -/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/2
Tylodina corticalis 1/-

Surface conditions - looking north

Surface conditions - looking south

Jorunna parva

Ardeadoris aff. averni

Gymnodoris alba

Goniobranchus kuniei

Sagaminopteron ornatum

Terry at "the office"

Roboastra luteolineata

Bornella anguilla - note the anterior of the foot 

gripping the hydroid stem as the mouth 

prepares to strip polyps

Bornella anguilla

Dermatobranchus ornatus

Goniobranchus decorus

Chromodoris striatella

Ardeadoris rubroannulata

Phyllidiella lizae

Elysia maoria

Chromodoris kuiteri

Doriprismatica atromarginata

Tylodina corticalis

Cadlinella ornatissima

Lobiger souverbii feeding on Caulerpa 

racemosa - note: no blue stripes

Goniobranchus splendidus

Protaeolidiella juliae

Chelidonura inornata

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast, 11-05-2014

8 species sighted on a single shore entry night dive at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry and David on this 110 minute dive in water depths to 6.3m. Max 3m viz and 21C water temp.

We entered the river guided by the last rays of the setting sun and the final run of the incoming tide. We descended to the "fish cage" but alas there were no fish to see here this time. Dusk and dawn are feeding times for many fish so we suspect they were either out hunting or tucked away to avoid being hunted. Our timing was perfect as we found a new species to add to our list - Pleurobranchus weberi - just emerging from the silt for nocturnal activity. Three specimens were sighted and all were large at about 150mm in length providing a nice sized subject to photograph however the extra water between lens and subject created some backscatter issues.

* Species with the highest specimen count

Atys sp. 1 2
Chelidonura fulvipunctata 1
Flabellina rubrolineata 1
Goniobranchus daphne 2
Noumea simplex 1
Pleurobranchus weberi 3 (New species)
Pteraeolidia ianthina 7
* Unidentia angelvaldesi 25

Goniobranchus daphne

Pleurobranchus weberi - new species for our list

Pleurobranchus weberi

Pleurobranchus weberi

Pleurobranchus weberi

Pleurobranchus weberi

Atys sp. 1

Noumea simplex

Flabellina rubrolineata

Pteraeolidia ianthina

Unidentia angelvaldesi

Chelidonura fulvipunctata