Description: Shell light, small and slender, up to about 28 mm in length. Colour white to light yellowish brown with a darker, brown spiral band covering a sixth of the total width of a body whorl. Occasionally, a secondary brown spiral band is found in specimens that have a yellowish base colour. Protoconch consists of 2-3 whorls, conical, translucent, colour white to yellowish white. Outline of whorls slightly convex, measure of which is constant with number of whorls. Axial sculpture consists of ribs, 14-16 in number, measured on the penultimate whorl of holotype and paratype 1-2. Spiral sculpture of the body whorl consists of 18-20, irregular in width, irregularly spaced, ribs. The ribs on the upper body whorl are in general closer set than those on the bottom body whorl. On the lower third of the body whorl, the spiral ribbing tends to alternate in thickness. Aperture elongate, outer lip thin with axial and spiral sculpture pattern showing through, columella curved, parietal callus slightly developed in some specimens.

Remarks: It appears that the material originating from Papua New Guinea was collected at relatively shallow depths (up to 80 m) while the Philippine population was retrieved at depths of 100-240 m. This is probably due to the difference in sampling/fishing techniques in both areas. The commercial shell-fisheries in the Philippines are known to use tangle nets and trawls starting from a depth of around 100 m. While the sampling in Papua New Guinea was mainly focused on trawls or dredges at depths ranging from 30-80 m. It is highly probable that in both areas the bathymetrical range is continuous from 30 m to 240 m or deeper. Although both species have yet only been recorded from two localities i.e. the southern Philippines and north-eastern Papua New Guinea, it is most likely that the distribution area is continuous and more expanded as in most Indo-Pacific Terebridae Both are uncommon and seem to coexist.

T. poppei sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from T. dedonderi sp. nov. by its straighter outline and lack of subsutural groove. Furthermore T. poppei sp. nov. lacks in most cases the secondary brown spiral band often found in T. dedonderi sp. nov. and by its much shorter protoconch. T. poppei sp. nov. differs from its closest relatives, T. polygyrata Deshayes, 1859 and T. textilis Hinds, 1844, by its lack of a subsutural groove, its less broad outline and protoconch. The protoconch of T. polygyrata Deshayes, 1859 is dome-shaped and bulbous and consists of only 1.5 whorls. The protoconch of T. textilis Hinds, 1844 is similar in shape of that of T. poppei sp. nov. but can be unmistakably differentiated from T. textilis Hinds, 1844 by its lack of a subsutural groove.

Habitat: The specimens where retrieved from a sand/mud bottom. Bathymetrical range of about 100-250 m in the Philippines and already found alive at 40 m at Hansa Bay, N of Papua New Guinea.Distribution: Only known from the south of the Philippines and the north of Papua New Guinea. Type Locality: 240 m deep. Aliguay, Philippines.