Shell small for genus (up to 21.4 mm in length, but usually 13.0-16.0 mm), fusiform, solid, axial and spiral sculpture strong, richly coloured for genus, consisting of 7,5 convex whorls. Suture fine, wavy.
Colour white to light brown, conspicuously vivid, with a slightly darker subsutural band, body whorl with a narrow interrupted band below periphery. Axial ribs slightly darker. Siphonal canal white with irregular dark brown patches; occasionally brownish with 1 or 2 narrow white bands.
Protoconch small, bulbous, glossy, 1,25 whorls. Tip usually conspicuously dark brown, becoming suddenly paler, often with a central darker brown band. Protoconch rarely white (Fiji: BORDAU 1: all stations). Final part sculptured with 2-4 weak, but distinct axial riblets, transition to teleoconch abrupt. Diameter 0.6-0.7 mm.
3 or 4 strong, sharp primary spiral cords on first 2 post-nuclear whorls. Third whorl with 5 primary spiral cords and 1 fine secondary spiral cord appearing above central cord, becoming as strong as primary one on penultimate whorl. Starting with penultimate whorl, one fine inter-calated spiral thread appears between each pair of cords. Spiral cords sharp and prominent when crossing axial ribs but obsolete in interspaces, which are only ornamented with some fine axial growth lines.
Axial ribs low and broad, conspicuously close-set, reaching from suture to suture on all whorls, interspaces narrow, relatively deep. 10 or 11 axial ribs on upper postnuclear whorls, 10-12 on antepenultimate and pen-ultimate, and 12 or 13 on body whorl.
Aperture ovate, pointed above, white, columella glossy, callous thin, with 1 or 2 weak and inconspicuous columellar folds, acquired in adult stage. Outer lip simple, sharp, finely denticulated, with numerous sharp internal lirae.
Siphonal canal slightly curved, usually shorter than aperture length, bending backwards. The length of the siphonal canal is subject of considerable variability.
Operculum typical of genus, reddish-brown.
Radula typical of genus, central tooth small, elongate, shape conical, base broader than top, tricuspid, cusps slightly projecting below base. Lateral teeth curved with 4 pointed cusps. The two central ones weaker and shorter. Inner end with a small pointed denticle.

Originally described in the genus Latirus. But the small operculum, the protoconch, the granulated shell sculpture, and the radula are typical of the genus Granulifusus. All studied specimens from Fiji (all BORDAU 1 stations) remarkably have a white protoconch. We cannot detect any other difference. As a result we consider these shells conspecific with the typical (brown-tipped) specimens. G staminatus is characterized and can be distinguished at once from all other Granulifusus species by the dark brown protoconch (except in Fiji) and/or the vivid colour in combination with the small size. These give the shell a different appearance, yet in all other aspects it is a typical Granulifusus. For differences with G dalli, a species which also bears a brown protoconch, we refer to the comparison under that species. Meteuthria futile (WATSON 1882) Holotype BMNH 1887.2.9.707 (18.4 x 6.8 mm, dd), type locality: between Kerguelen and Heard Islands. Challenger stn 150. 52°04' S, 7T22' E, 275 ml is similar in shape and sculpture, but has a larger and completely different sculptured protoconch, and an aperture which is adapically oval. Originally described as a Fusus by WATSON (1882: 381, 1886: pi. 12, figs. 9a-c), but later placed in Meteuthria (Buccinidac) by THIELE (1913: 263).

Range and habitat: Southern Pacific (Tonga Islands, Futuna Island. Fiji. Vanuatu, New Caledonia, southern Coral Sea and Queensland. Australia) and Philippine Islands. Living 124 m deep off Cape MoreLon (GARRARD 1966: 7). In the material we examined in MNHN. we found alive collected specimens 230-335 m deep, empty or crabbed shells 215-448 m deep in the southern pail of the range (southern Pacific), and a living specimen 136-152 m deep, and an empty shell 188-195 m deep in the northern part of the range (Philippine Islands).