Select Page

Dive Reports

28-12-2020 Shellacey Reef

DAY/DATE

Monday

28/12/2020

SITE/S

Shellacey Reef
Outer Gneerings

 

PARTICIPANTS

Julie, Terry, David

TYPE

Subtidal

 

MODE

Boat Dives

 

VESSEL

More Mischief

 

DIVE

1

2

SITE/S

Shellacey Reef

Shellacey Reef

SPECIES #

23

16

DURATION

72 Min

70 Min

DEPTH/RANGE

14-18m

14-18m

TEMP.

25 C

25 C

VIS.

10 m

10 m

SURGE

Light

Light

CURRENT

Nil

Nil

COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS

Being a public holiday it was thought best to avoid the boat ramps so we took More Mischief out, the weather appearing to be suitable. With all the run-off from the recent rain we decided it would be best to go right offshore to the Gneering Shoals and Shellacey Reef was the destination. It provides a choice of depths as well. It turned out to be a dorid kind of day with 24 of the 31 species sighted falling into that category. A current greeted us on entry to the second dive but was limited to the first several metres of depth. Finds of note included: Okenia hallucigenia, Phyllidia cf. elegans, Dermatobranchus semilunus and Halgerda albocristata. The Okenia has four pairs of lateral dorsal appendages and a single central one just anterior to the gills. There is no anterior ventral vee shaped groove on the foot so we have identified it as Okenia hallucigenia. Finds that are additions to our Sunshine Coast Sea Slug Survey list were: Ceratosoma sp. 02 and Trapania reticulata Rudman, 1987.

Taxonomic Diversity:
– 24 of the 31 species sighted were dorids.
– If diet is considered then 23 of the 31 species sighted are spongivores.

Key to symbols
+++ New Species

TOTAL SPECIES SIGHTED: 31

 

SPECIES LIST – ALPHABETICAL

Aegires flores 1/-
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Bulbaeolidia alba -/1
Ceratosoma sp. 02 1/- +++
Chromodoris elisabethina 12/7
Chromodoris kuiteri 3/1
Chromodoris lochi 1/-
Chromodoris strigata 1/-
Colpodaspsis thompsoni -/1
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Dermatobranchus semilunus 1/-
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 10/13
Glossodoris rufromarginata 1/2
Goniobranchus splendidus 3/-
Halgerda albocristata 1/-
Hypselodoris decorata 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/-
Hypselodoris maculosa 1/-
Mexichromis trilineata 2/4
Okenia hallucigenia -/1
Phyllidia elegans 1/1
Phyllidia cf. elegans 1/-
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 2/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/2
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/-
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum -/1
Thuridilla cf. splendens -/1
Trapania reticulata 1/- +++
Verconia simplex 1/-

SPECIES GROUPED BY ORDER

Nudibranchia
Aegires flores 1/-
Ardeadoris rubroannulata 1/-
Bulbaeolidia alba -/1
Ceratosoma sp. 02 1/- +++
Chromodoris elisabethina 12/7
Chromodoris kuiteri 3/1
Chromodoris lochi 1/-
Chromodoris strigata 1/-
Dermatobranchus rodmani -/1
Dermatobranchus semilunus 1/-
Dermatobranchus tuberculatus -/1
Doriprismatica atromarginata 10/13
Glossodoris rufromarginata 1/2
Goniobranchus splendidus 3/-
Halgerda albocristata 1/-
Hypselodoris decorata 1/-
Hypselodoris jacksoni 1/-
Hypselodoris maculosa 1/-
Mexichromis trilineata 2/4
Okenia hallucigenia -/1
Phyllidia elegans 1/1
Phyllidia cf. elegans 1/-
Phyllidia varicosa -/1
Phyllidiella lizae 2/1
Phyllidiella pustulosa 3/2
Phyllidiopsis burni 1/-
Trapania reticulata 1/- +++
Verconia simplex 1/-​

Cephalaspidea
Colpodaspsis thompsoni -/1
Sagaminopteron psychedelicum -/1

Sacoglossa
Thuridilla cf. splendens -/1

Umbraculoidea

Pleurobranchoidea

DIVE IMAGES GALLERY

PUT CURSOR ON IMAGE FOR SPECIES NAME
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE & SCROLL