Thursday, September 25, 2014

Species List: La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 20-09-2014

18 species sighted at La Balsa, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast.

Julie, Terry & David on this single shore-entry night dive of 99 minutes in water depths to 6m. 6m viz and 20C water temp.

The weather finally put paid to our good run of reef diving but we are fortunate in being able to fall back on the river until the wet season is upon us again. This time we decided to use the centre set of stairs out of the park into the river. Although we only probably moved about 30m along the shoreline during the dive our finds were nothing short of remarkable. Four species new to our list were found contributing to the nine that we had not seen here in the river before. This site continues to amaze us and probably the most amazing sight was the huge Sebadoris fragilis that was as long and as wide as my whole gloved hand and fingers. Incredible to watch move over the bottom.

Number of each species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count

Anteaeolidiella cacaotica 1
Atys semistriatus 1 (New species)
Eubranchus sp. 10 1
Facelina sp. 8 1 (New species)
Flabellina rubrolineata 5
Goniobranchus daphne 5
Hypselodoris obscura 4
Ilbia ilbi 1
Lomanotus sp. 4 2 (New species)
Phyllodesmium sp. 4 1
Pleurobranchus grandis 1 (New species)
Pleurobranchus peronii 2
Pleurobranchus weberi 3
Pteraeolidia ianthina 4
Sakuraeolis nungunoides 6
Sebadoris fragilis 1
Trinchesia yamasui 1
*Unidentia angelvaldesi 40+

Substrate - covered in growth

Substrate - boulders in the sandy slit

Sakuraeolis nungunoides

Goniobranchus daphne

Pleurobranchus weberi

Pleurobranchus peronii

Hypselodoris obscura

Anteaeolidiella cacaotica

Sebadoris fragilis - a huge specimen at 180mm

Trinchesia yamasui

Ilbia ilbi

Pleurobranchus grandis (New species)

Lomanotus sp. 4 (New species)

Lomanotus sp. 4

Phyllodesmium sp. 4

Facelina sp. 8 (New species)

Atys semistriatus (New species)

Pteraeolidia ianthina - head shot

Unidentia angelvaldesi - everywhere

Flabellina rubrolineata

Eubranchus sp. 10