Novaculops pastellus

{{Short description|Species of wrasse}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Novaculops pastellus.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{Cite web|last=Yeeting|first=B.|date=2009-03-06|title=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Xyrichtys pastellus|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/en|access-date=2021-03-05|website=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species|doi=10.2305/iucn.uk.2010-4.rlts.t187629a8584906.en}}

| taxon = Novaculops pastellus

| authority = (Randall, Earle & Rocha 2008)

| synonyms = Xyrichtys pastellus {{small|Randall, Earle & Rocha 2008}}

}}

Novaculops pastellus, the Lord Howe sandy, is a fish of the family Labridae, subfamily Xyrichtyinae, commonly known as razorfishes.{{Cite web|last=Rossella|date=2008-07-10|title=Xyrichtys pastellus, a new razorfish from the southwest Pacific, with discussion of the related X. sciistius and X. woodi ⋆ aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology|url=https://aqua-aquapress.com/xyrichtys-pastellus-a-new-razorfish-from-the-southwest-pacific-with-discussion-of-the-related-x-sciistius-and-x-woodi-2/|access-date=2021-03-05|website=aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology|language=en-US}} It's a rare fish known only from the Lord Howe Island region in the Tasman Sea, and inhabits open sandy bottoms. Like other razorfishes, it dives quickly into the sand when threatened. This species was originally described in the genus Xyrichthys and later transferred to Novaculops.{{Cite web|title=Novaculops pastellus|url=https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4850#summary|access-date=2021-03-05|website=fishesofaustralia.net.au|language=en}} It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.