Shell of moderate size, with rounded whorls, variably spirally lirate and weakly axially costate, and a capacious body-whorl, the neck being slight and near to the short twisted and recurved anterior canal. Colour pattern variable, ranging from pale brownish (sufflaturn) to sparse narrow brown spiral lines (waitarzgiense) and numerous spiral lines (lineum).
Height 35-49 mm., width 17-23 mm.
New Zealand: North Island and South lsland north-west coast to Golden Bay, down cast coast to Timaru, and Chatham Islands.