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Dive Reports

13-07-2021 Dakota & Rocky

DAY/DATE

Tuesday

13/07/2021

SITE/S

Dakota & Rocky

 

PARTICIPANTS

Terry, David

 

TYPE

Subtidal

 

MODE

Boat Dives

 

VESSEL

Rebel II

 

DIVE

1

2

 

SITE/S

Dakota

Rocky

 

SPECIES #

6

16

 

DURATION

75 Min

72 Min

 

DEPTH/RANGE

13 – 16 m

16 – 20 m

 

TEMP.

19 C

20 C

 

VIS.

3 m

5 m

 

SURGE

Moderate

Light

 

CURRENT

Nil

Nil

 

COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

Conditions on the Caloundra bar were excellent so we decided on Currimundi Reef dives. Dakota was our destination for the first dive. Unfortunately subsurface conditions deteriorated the deeper we went such that cold, dark and dirty water greeted us at the bottom. These conditions combined with a moderate surge resulted in a low species count of just 6 for the dive. Up came the anchor and out we went to try and find better conditions. At Rocky, a site behind TJ’s Boulders, the water was one degree warmer and visibility almost doubled enabling us to locate and record many more species. Mostly the usual subjects sighted with perhaps the small Diversidoris sp. 1 being the noteworthy exception.

Taxonomic Diversity:
Due to the conditions limiting sightings to just 6 species any comment on taxonomic diversity of the Dakota survey would be pointless.

The Rocky data however indicates the following:
11 out of the 16 species sighted (more than two thirds) were dorids comprising 3 x phanerobranchs, 2 x porostomes (all belonging to Phyllidiidae) and 6 x cryptobranchs (all belonging to the Chromodorididae Family). The other 5 species comprised mostly cladobranchs: 3 x aeolids, 1 x dendronotids and 1 x cephalaspidean completing the count. It is interesting to report once again that the ratio of dorids to total is the same as our latest two surveys and that the cryptobranchs all belong to the Chromodorididae family once again.

Our Historical Data:
Dakota:
– This survey is number 5 at this site since we first recorded information from here on 19/09/2014
– Last surveyed on 03/10/2014
– 44 species have been recorded here
Ardeadoris rubroannulata is another species commonly sighted here (60%) but not on this survey.

Rocky:
– This survey is number 5 at this site since we first recorded information from here on 17/12/2017
– Last surveyed on 16/01/2020
– 42 species have been recorded here
– This is the first time we have recorded Dermatobranchus oculus and Goniobranchus coi at this site.
Chromodoris kuiteri is another species commonly sighted here (80%) but not on this survey.

Key to symbols
+++ New Species
+ First time sighted at this site
# Most commonly sighted at this site with %

Total Species Sighted: 17

SPECIES LIST – ALPHABETICAL

Bornella anguilla -/2
Diversidoris sp. 1 -/1 + Rocky
Doriprismatica atromarginata -/1 #100% – Rocky
Flabellina rubroannulata -/1
Glossodoris rufomarginata -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 2/1 #60% – Dakota/#100% – Rocky
Goniodoridella savignyi -/1 + Rocky
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -/1 + Rocky
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/1 #80% Dakota
Hypselodoris obscura -/1 + Rocky #60% Dakota
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/3 + Rocky
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/3 + Dakota
Pteraeolidia semperi 1/3 + Dakota/#100% – Rocky
Roboastra luteolineata -/2
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/2
Tenellia sibogae -/2 + Rocky

SPECIES GROUPED BY ORDER

Nudibranchia
Bornella anguilla -/2
Diversidoris sp. 1 -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata -/1
Flabellina rubroannulata -/1
Glossodoris rufomarginata -/1
Goniobranchus splendidus 2/1
Goniodoridella savignyi -/1
Gymnodoris sp. 9 -/1
Hypselodoris jacksoni 2/1
Hypselodoris obscura -/1 
Jorunna sp. 3 1/-
Phyllidia ocellata 1/3
Phyllidiella pustulosa 2/3
Pteraeolidia semperi 1/3
Roboastra luteolineata -/2
Tenellia sibogae -/2 

Cephalaspidea
Sagaminopteron ornatum -/2

Sacoglossa

Umbraculoidea

Pleurobranchoidea

Anaspidea

Pteropoda

DIVE IMAGES GALLERY

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