Nudibranch Central: Species List: Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals, off Coolum, Sunshine Coast, 27-02-2014

Friday, February 28, 2014

Species List: Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals, off Coolum, Sunshine Coast, 27-02-2014

28 species found at Terry's Delight, Arkwright Shoals, off Coolum, Sunshine Coast.
Terry and David on this excursion consisting of 2 x 80 minute dives in water depths from 14m to 19m. 8m viz, 26C water temp and heavy surge.

Our original intention was to dive at Currimundi Reef getting out over the Caloundra bar. However after taking some time to observe the conditions there, and watching a boat almost come to grief, discretion won out over valour and we opted to use Mooloolaba. Occasionally we encountered sets of quite large swells which were not forecast to arrive until Friday. This we thought would seriously affect our species finds but although it is down a little on the 40 of last week we were pleasantly surprised at the resulting count. We have not seen Aegires gardineri for some time so that was a good find. A look at the substrate shot will explain the numbers of Phyllodesmium magnum sighted. The soft corals are thriving and dominating the flat areas of the terrain.

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

Aegires gardineri 3/1
Aegires flores 1/-
Ardeadoris aff. averni 1/-
Chromodoris elisabethina 1/2
Chromodoris splendida 1/5
Dendrodoris denisoni -/1
Dermatobranchus ornatus 2/2
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus 1/-
Doriprismatica atromarginata 4/4
Elysia maoria -/2
Glossodoris vespa 1/1
Gymnodoris alba -/1
Halgerda aurantiomaculata 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/-
Hypselodoris obscura 1/1
Hypselodoris whitei 1/-
Jorunna sp. 3
Mexichromis festiva -/2
Mexichromis trilineata -/1
Phyllidia ocellata 1/1
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 3/3
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/1
*Phyllodesmium magnum 6/3
Pteraeolidia ianthina 5/1
Sagaminopteron ornatum 3/2
Thuridilla splendens 1/1
Tritoniopsis alba -/3