A trip to my favourite nudi grounds was in order. The Slide, near Terrigal Haven, on the Central Coast of NSW is a pretty decent spot to view some branchs. I really need to get a grip of my pre-dive routine! I'm hopeless when it comes to packing the right things, charging batteries, remembering towels and spare undergarments!
Armed with my camera showing the dreaded half battery symbol, I jumped off the rock ledge and headed straight to the area of the dive site where you are pretty much guaranteed to spot a nudi. I wasn't to be let down as I spotted the first nudi of the day. Hypselodoris bennetti, sitting on a small piece of coral.
This nudibranch is a fairly common find at The Slide. I have also noticed that finding groups sharing a grazing area is common here too.
I am unsure if there is perhaps a subspecies, or just different markings, but I have noticed that some of the bennetti have a lot more magenta markings than others. This may just be variation between individual nudibranchs, or a subspecies, I haven't figured that one out yet. (Gary, help?)
My second find on this dive was another nudi that I have seen frequent this location before. Glossodoris atromarginata, a relatively large nudibranch which is easy to spot in good light due to the bright white body and wavy black margin. The individual pictured was approximately 80mm long, which would be around the largest I have seen of this species at this dive site.
The final entry to today's blog is a nudibranch I have not been able to identify. The image below is of a nudibranch approximately 40mm long, white body with long translucent foot, yellow spots on the body, smooth thin mantle, pink tipped rhinophores and gills.
I'll have to get the good people at www.nudibranch.com.au to help me with an ID on this guy.
Again, for anyone interested in nudibranchs check out www.nudibranch.com.au !!
Stay tuned for more branch mayhem!
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