Saturday, January 7, 2017

Species List: 05-01-2017, La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

17 species sighted at La Balsa Park, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, 05-01-2017.

Julie, Terry and David on this single shore entry dive, of 148 minutes. Maximum depth 5.7 m, 26 C water temperature and 3 m viz.

It was about 15 minutes into the dive before we saw any slugs at all but our luck soon changed with the sighting of a very large species new to our Sunshine Coast List. Yes The River has delivered yet again presenting us with Platydoris ellioti at 140 mm long, with a distinctive colour and pattern to its ventral surface. A strange find was a specimen of Dermatobranchus sp. 7 that presented with patches of a reddish hue on its notum. This reddish hue faded completely over the two days it was in the collection bowl awaiting return.

Number of species sighted
* Species with highest specimen count.

Dendrodoris fumata -1
Dermatobranchus funiculus -1
Dermatobranchus sp. 7 -2
Elysia pusilla -1
* Goniobranchus daphne -19
Goniobranchus reticulatus -2
Goniobranchus splendidus -1
Goniodoridella sp. 1 -2
Goniodoridella savignyi -1
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -2
Gymnodoris sp. 17 -2
Hypselodoris obscura -12
Jorunna sp. 3 -1
Philinopsis falciphallus -2
Platydoris ellioti -1 New species
Pteraeolidia semperi -9
Tornatina sp. 1 -1 (Shell)

Tornatina sp. 1 - Shell

Dermatobranchus sp. 7 - reddish patches on notum

Dermatobranchus sp. 7 - standard notum colour

Gymnodoris sp. 17

Philinopsis falciphallus

Pteraeolidia semperi (mimicking Salvador Dali)

Goniobranchus daphne

Goniodoridella savignyi (on tip of glove)

Elysia pusilla

Dendrodoris fumata

Dermatobranchus funiculus

Platydoris ellioti - New species

Platydoris ellioti - ventral aspect

Goniobranchus reticulatus

Goniobranchus splendidus

Goniodoridella sp. 1

Jorunna sp. 3