Splendid pencil wrasse
📖 Overview
Usually associated with offshore coral-reef areas in relatively deep-water habitats over rubble bottoms .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 12. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: D IX,11; A III,12; pectoral-fin rays 13; lateral-line scales 27 (+1 on caudal-fin base); scaleless head; gill rakers 14-17; each jaw with a single pair of large, projecting, and slightly recurved canine teeth anteriorly with the upper pair slightly out-flaring and the lowers curving forward and fitting between uppers when mouth closed; on each side of upper and lower jaws with a short irregular row of 3-9 chisel-like incisiform teeth, no canine posteriorly at corner of mouth; elongate body, depth 4.0-4.3 in SL; moderately compressed, body width 1.8-2.4 in body depth; colour of female IP orangish to reddish to pink, grading to whitish ventrally, the snout yellowish and/or bluish, often with a dark spot at midline tip, no dark mark at front of dorsal fin, median fins yellowish while terminal-phase male with a greenish upper body, bluish lower body, variably tan-pink along dorsal midline, distinctive mid-lateral blue stripe over yellow stripe along side of body; the head green above, blue below, two blue stripes behind eye extending across operculum, snout with a dark to tan band on anterior dorsal midline overlying a blue band and then a green band in front of eye; absence of dark mark at front of dorsal fin; caudal fin is slightly rounded to truncate, with prominent distal black semicircle .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Splendid pencil wrasse is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Splendid pencil wrasse is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Reproduction data for Splendid pencil wrasse is currently being compiled.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 28 m . Tropical north to Japan; south to Australia (New South Wales); including Northern Marianas to Lord Howe Island, eastward to Kwajalein Atoll in the north and to Samoa in the south.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet — be the first to log one!
View all observations for Splendid pencil wrasse ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.