COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

As the dawn broke across the horizon of a placid sea Li’l Mischief purred on a southerly course from the Mooloolah River entrance towards Currimundi Reef. Conditions such as these make for memorable diving excursions. Apart from a couple of yachts taking advantage of the improved weather and making their way back to Moreton Bay I almost had the ocean to myself. The anchor fell at the bottom of the ledge so I tied off the dive line to it, and took the reel up onto the ledge proper. I commenced my search, first to the right and on the second dive to the left. Finds worth a special mention include: Aegires sp. 01, Trapania vitta, Tenellia sp. 01, Tenellia sp. 03 and Thorunna halourga, the gills of the latter observed to be twitching most rapidly. This site produced more of the aeolid nudibranchs than recent dives on the Gneering Shoals or around Mudjimba Island.

Taxonomic Diversity:
23 of the 24 species sighted were nudibranchs, with 16 being dorids comprising 5 x phanerobranch (non-retractile gill), 4 x porostome (suctorial feeders – all of the Phyllidiidae family), 7 x cryptobranchs (retractable gill – all bar one, belonging to the Chromodorididae family) and 7 x cladobranchs comprising 5 x aeolids, 1 x arminid and 1 x dendronotinid. A single cephalaspidean rounds out the species numbers. If diet is considered then 14 of the 24 species sighted are spongivores.

Our Historical Data:
– This excursion brings the number of survey dives to 119 at this site since we commenced fully recording data here on 03/01/2010.
– 224 species have been recorded at this site.
– The most regularly recorded species at this site are: Doriprismatica atromarginata (97%), Phyllidiella pustulosa (93%), Phyllidia ocellata (88%) and Hypselodoris jacksoni (83%).
– This is the first time we have recorded Aegires sp. 01, Tenellia sp. 01and Thorunna halourga at this site.
– Furthermore, Tenellia sp. 1 and Thorunna halourga have not been recorded previously by us at any of the Currimundi Reef sites.
– The graph indicates that, while the number or organisms recorded at this site fluctuates substantially, the number of species recorded has remained relatively constant over time. (See Image Gallery below)
– This site last surveyed on 05/06/2022.
(Historical data courtesy of Terry Farr, who extracts it from his comprehensive database.)

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

TOTAL SPECIES SIGHTED: 24

DIVE IMAGES GALLERY

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