is a relatively new species formally described by Benjamin Victor in 2017 in his review of the Indo-Pacific Pseudojuloides cerasinus complex which yielded two new species, Pseudojuloides polynesica, from French Polynesia and the Line Islands. The second new species, Pseudojuloides splendens ranges from Japan to Australia and across most of the South Pacific. It is now understood that Pseudojuloides cerasinus is only found around the Hawaiian Islands and was once thought to have a fairly wide range from the Izu Islands, Lord Howe Island, Austral Islands to Hawaii and East Africa. Pseudojuloides splendens is confined to the South Pacific, like the Royal Pencil Wrasse, Splendid Pencil Wrasse are one of the more common Pencil Wrasse seen in the aquarium industry when available. Splendid Pencil Wrasse can grow to approximately 4-3/4 inches in length with males being the larger of the two sexes. Mature male Splendid Pencil Wrasse are mostly green in overall color with two vivid light blue facial stripe markings, whereas, the Hawaiian endemic P. cerasinus, has only one. This bright blue color continues as a horizontal stripe down the middle of the fish extending to the base of the tail with a complimentary, yet contrasting yellow stripe running parallel along the bottom of the blue stripe. The tail fin starts out yellow in color and the back half darkens to black. The fins of the male Splendid Pencil Wrasse echo its body coloration but are slightly transparent in appearance. Female Splendid Pencil Wrasse are pastel pink to red in overall coloration. The female also displays a muted yellow color on the mouth, chin and eyes with mostly transparent fins.
