Protoconch 2 broadly obese whorls, smooth and shining, merging gradually into main whorls, nucleus not submerged. Teleoconch 4 convex whorls, body-whorl 75 per cent of total length. Sutures well impressed. Sculpture— finely transversely grooved throughout, 28-30 on body-whorl, up to 17 on penultimate, interspaces wider than grooves, more so in centre of body-whorl; broad, flattened oblique axial ribs commence about second whorl, becoming increasingly prominent on body-whorl; transverse grooves microscopically axially striated by growth lines. Umbilicus a small fissure behind recurved inner-lip callus. Aperture elongate-ovate, tapering sharply posteriorly, a short narrow open siphonal canal, recurved to left; columella straight, 3 strong oblique plaits, anterior plait forming edge of canal; inner-lip recurved as a thin glazed callus on to body-whorl and over umbilical opening, granulated anteriorly; outer-lip regularly curved, sharply edged, finely crenulate on inner-edge, some specimens with about 12 lirae extending into aperture. Colour off-white with two broad pale fawn bands on body-whorl, blotches of same colour below sutures and between ribs. Dimensions. Holotype, length 20-25 mm. Maximum size approx. 30 mm x 18 mm. Beach-worn specimens are usually half grown.

Type material. — Holotype USNM 880646, 32.3 x 20.5 mm. 7 paratypes, all from type locality: 1-4 in colln REP; 5-7 in colln. A. Deynzer.
Type locality. — Off Balicasag Island, Bohol, Philippines, 200 m.
Description. — Shells with a multispiral naticoid protoconch, with n 1.5-1.75 smooth whorls, D 1.1 mm, d 0.3 mm, e. h. 0.7-0.8 mm. Shell up to 38.7 mm high, with up to 6 teleoconch whorls. This species is characterised by its strong solid shell, short spire, wide last whorl, and fine sculpture of close-set axial ribs crossed by rounded but flattened spiral bands of two orders, separated by areas with at most a few microscopic growth lines. Small nodes at crossings of sculpture systems. Spiral sculpture dominant on earlier whorls, but axials becoming stronger on later whorls. Suture impressed, forming narrow sutural canal bordered by rounded tops of axials. Three columellar folds, adapical one the strongest, umbilical chink half covered by the columellar callus. Lirae in outer lip: 11-13, mostly 12.
Distribution. — Only known from the Philippines: type locality; Mindanao, AV0799; Aliguay Island, 150-300 m: 3 shells AV1382, 1 shell each; AV0726, AV0798, AVI 120.
Remarks. — The three PANGLAO shells are clearly identifiable but subadult, the largest shell seen (AV0798) measures 33.6 x 22 mm. The apical parts of most shells studied have the upper shell layer slightly eroded (polished) so that it is difficult to exactly establish the protoconch / teleoconch transition. The original description states that the species has a "paucispiral protoconch with 2,5 whorls" with a maximum diameter of 2.1 mm (which would be very large for a cancellariid), but the figures given have a rather multispiral aspect, if they are not based on an slightly eroded top. But shell CP 2380 has a clearly paucispiral deviated protconch, n 1.0 whorl, D 1.0 mm, e.h. 0.5 mm, more such shells will be needed to evaluate this apparent contradiction.
Merica ektyphos is rather similar to M. aqualica, but the former's shells are smaller and more colourful. The spiral sculpture in the former consists of relatively broad but closely spaced bands of flattened nodules, the latter has the nodules narrower and more spaces, and has secondary spirals.

Type material. — The holotype, height 19 mm, was in the "collection du Museum" in 1841. A search by V. Heros (MNHN) did not yield any possible type, so the type must be considered lost.
Description. — Shell solid, relatively thick, with rounded outline
Protoconch colorless, glassy, smooth and glossy, naticoid with a relatively large nucleus, apparently multispiral, n 1 3/4 whorl, D 1.1 mm, d 0.3 mm, e.h. 0.7 mm.
Teleoconch sculpture starts suddenly with weak axial and spiral sculpture. Teleoconch whorls 5 1/8. Spiral sculpture on lst-5th tel. wh: 5, 5, 4, 6 (1 secondary spiral on 2-5 wh.), 32 spirals in total on last whorl. Axials: 33 rather sharp ribs on penultimate whorl, 42 narrow on last whorl. Sharp small points are formed on crossings of axial and spiral sculpture, resulting in a rough shell surface. Suture slightly and narrowly impressed. Spire angle 63°, spire height 23% of total shell height. Aperture: 11 strong lirae inside outer lip. Columella with 3 sharp folds, posterior the strongest. Traces of 3 broad spiral brownish-red colour bands are visible, especially under UV light.
Distribution. — Philippines (the present material), and possibly Australia and Tasmania. But, as fully discussed in the Remarks, the identification of shells from the latter locali¬ty must be confirmed.
Remarks. — The protoconch of shell CP 2653 is slightly eroded: it is not possible to clearly establish if there has been a protoconch I-II transition, but it looks like multispiral. The two smaller shells from Aliguay Island, 150 m, in colln RP have the protoconch type unrecognisably eroded, their shell is very much like that of CP 2653, but they are slightly more slender. They have 16 and 17 lirae inside the outer lip. Spire angle between 60 and 64°.
In several publications, the authorship of this species is cited as "Valenciennes", or "Valenciennes (in Kiener)", and incorrectly as "Kiister" (error for Kiener?) (Iredale 1925: 264). No publication by Valenciennes regarding this name is known, but there may have been some unpublished paper by Valenciennes, which obviously would be of no nomenclatural value.
Kiener (1841: 38) wrote (transl.) "this small species that we have established after a shell in the collection du Museum and the only one we know ...". The whole part of Kiener's "Genre Cancellaire" was checked, and the use of "nous" (= we) was found also on pp. 7, 8, 15, 19 and 42, and there it clearly referred to Kiener only. Therefore, his use of "we" must not be interpreted as referring to a coauthorship with Valenciennes, it is only a pluralis modestiae.
Two groups of shells seem to agree with Kiener's description and figures: from the Philippines (PI. 4 figs 10-12) and shells from Australia and Tasmania. Kiener's description (transl.): "Spire 5-6 convex whorls; suture simple; traces of longitudinal and transverse striae, but not distinct" may apply as well to the rough-surfaced sculpture of the Philippine shells, as to the Australian shells with a much smoother sculpture. The Australian shells have a large blunt paucispiral protoconch, quite different from those of the Philippines. When more and better Philippines material becomes available, selection of a neotype would end this confusion.
Some Australian taxa are rather similar to those from the Philippines, but the sculpture is different. "Cancelleria (sic) tasmanica" Tenison-Woods, 1876, size 18.5 x 10 mm, was not figured, but described as being "slenderly spirally lyrate". Tenison-Woods (1876: 151) compares it to the figure of Admetula viridula given by Sowerby II (1849: pl. 96 fig. 102), so it must be quite elongate. Cancellaria maccoyi Pritchard & Gatliff, 1899, considered a synonym of C. purpuriformis by Garrard (1975), has weak spiral grooves and weak but very wide and flat axial ribs, well illustrated by Pritchard & Gatliff (1899: 182, pl. 20 fig. 6), the Philippine shells have many narrow sharp ribs and spirals. If the Philippines and the Australian species would be found to be different, the name C. maccoyi would apply to the latter. "Cancellaria purpurae-formis Kuster", as used by Cotton & Godfrey (1932: 55) is an error for C. purpuriformis Kiener. These authors also mention C. paludinaeformis Valenciennes as a synonym, but this name is not mentioned by Petit & Harasewych (2005), nor is it included in Sherborn's Index Animalium. It may be a manuscript name.

The protoconch of this species is not quite typical of the C. (Sydaphera) group, the nucleus not being submerged nor the first half-whorl deviated. However others features agree well with the type for the genus, C. (S.) undulata Sowerby. This species is seldom found alive and first-class specimens are a rarity. The nearest congener in general appearance is C. (S.) lactea Deshayes, but that species lacks the numerous transverse grooves which distinguish C. (S.) purpuriformis from all others in the genus.

Type locality. Tasmania.
Distribution. 27-36 metres (deepest record) off St Francis Island, South Australia (32° 35' S., 133° 19' E.), to Western Port Bay, Victoria (38° 15' S., 145° 20' E.), beach W. of Cape Portland, Tasmania (40° 45' S., 148° 07' E.), King Island, Tasmania (39° 45' S., 143° 57' E.). Subtidal to 36 metres.