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Dive Reports

12-04-2023 Middle Island

DAY/DATE

Wednesday

12/04/2023

SITE/S

Middle Island
Bowen 

 

PARTICIPANTS

Terry & Julie

 

TYPE

Subtidal

 

MODE

Boat Dives

 

VESSEL

Rebel II

 

DIVE

1

2

SITE/S

Middle Is. South

Middle Is. South

SPECIES #

5

1

DURATION

103 Min

41 Min

DEPTH/RANGE

To 11 m

To 8.5 m

TEMP.

28 C

28 C

VIS.

3 m

3 m

SURGE

Nil

Nil

CURRENT

Nil

Nil

COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

Good conditions greeted us today as we headed over to Middle Island. We decided to try a spot slightly east of our normal location. Unfortunately it was not as good with lots more algae and less coral cover. Visibility was still not great at depth so our dive remained shallow. We decided to try a spot on the western side, again not our normal location and this proved to be an algae field with really awful visibility so we abandoned this dive and went back around to the south side. Somehow we missed the mark and dove another unexplored spot, again not very productive. At least surface conditions continued to improve and it was amazing topside. We also saw squid on the anchor line, a juvenile spadefish hanging out under plastic mesh and sargassum (the plastic was retrieved), and a really cool jellyfish on the surface. The highlights of the day turned out to be topside.

Taxonomic Diversity:
4 of the 5 species sighted were nudibranchs all being dorids comprising 3 x porostomes (suctorial feeders – all of the Phyllidiidae family), 1 x cryptobranch (retractable gill – belonging to the Chromodorididae family). One Sacoglossa rounds out the species numbers. If diet is considered then 4 of the 5 species sighted are spongivores.

Our Historical Data:
– We have now completed 6 survey dives here since our first survey on 13/02/2023.
– 19 species have been recorded here.
– This is the first time we have recorded Mexichromis trilineata at this site.
– Too few dives thus far to draw any real observations.
– This site last surveyed 30/03/2023
(Historical data courtesy of Terry Farr, who extracts it from his comprehensive database.)

TOTAL SPECIES SIGHTED: 5

 

SPECIES LIST – ALPHABETICAL

Mexichromis trilineata  6/- +
Phyllidia varicosa  1/1
Phyllidiella cooraburrama  1/-
Phyllidiella lizae  1/-
Thuridilla gracilis  1/-

SPECIES GROUPED BY ORDER

Nudibranchia
Dorids
Phanerobranchs

Cryptobranchs
Mexichromis trilineata  6/-
Porostomes
Phyllidia varicosa  1/1
Phyllidiella cooraburrama  1/-
Phyllidiella lizae  1/-
Cladobranchs
Aeolids

Arminids

Dendronotinids

Cephalaspidea
– 

Pteropoda

Sacoglossa
Thuridilla gracilis  1/-

Umbraculoidea

Pleurobranchoidea

Anaspidea

DIVE IMAGES GALLERY

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