Similar in size, form and development of columellar callus to the nominate subspecies N.arcularia arcularia, and differs only in the presence of a spiral sculpture consisting of either shallow or moderately deep spiral groves. TYPE LOCALITY. None (plicatus and rumphii); Red Sea (obvelatum); Algoa Bay, Sth. Africa (sulcifera); Philippines error! (crispata); Aden (minor). The Seychelles Islands are here designated as the type locality. DISTRIBUTION. From the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to Mauritius and South Africa. In sand, from the intertidal zone to 24 m. Type specimens. Roeding's types are either no longer extant or cannot be segregated from the general collection. The specimen illustrated by Martini (1773) on plate 41, in fig.412 (P11, fig.4) is here designated as the illustrated lectotype of N.arcularia plicatus. The holotype of Nassa sulcifera A. Adams, is in the British Museum (N.H.) No 1973125, length 30.1 mm, width 20.2 mm; it is an aberrant individual with prominent spiral cords and a rather small columellar callus. The juvenile holotype of N.crispata Marrat, is in the Merseyside County Museum, Liverpool, length 13.0 mm, width 9.0 mm. The whereabouts of the types of rumphii Deshayes & Edwards, and minor Smith, are unknown, and the type of obvelatum Deshayes is lost (Dr.P.Bouchet, in litt.). Material examined. RED SEA: Port Sudan (AIM); Museri I; Dahlak Archipelago, 15°35'N&40°40'E, 20-24 m; Ras A Tantur; Sharm A Sheich; Ras Muhamad; Dahab; Et Tur, Gulf of Suez; Fara'un I, Gulf of Aqaba; Abu Samra (all TAU); 5-8 km S. of Aqaba (coll. Mastaller); N.of Jidda, Arabia; Gulf of Suez; Eilat; Aden (all USNM); Medina al Shuab, W.of Aden; A Tur, Bay of Suez (both AMS); PERSIAN GULF: Busher; Henjam I; E.S.E. of Bustani, 27°05'N & 53°02'E, 5-9 m; 6 km S. of Borishir; Ben-dar-Abbas (all ZMC); Tarut Bay (coll. Powell); Sth.of Kuwait (coll.Smythe); GULF OF OMAN: Dubai (AIM); Muskat (USNM); Mina al Fahal, 16 km W. of Muskat; Qurram near Muskat (both coll. Luther); EAST AFRICA: Mnemba, N.E.Zanzibar; Jembiani, 8 km S.of Paje, Zanzibar (both AIM); Bweju, S.E.Zanzibar; Malindi, N.of Mombassa; Zanzibar city; Mboa Maji, Tanganyika (all USNM); Ilhado Ibo, Mozambique (AMS); Raskamoni reef, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (coll. Eker); Isla di Serpenti, Somalia (NZGS) MADAGASCAR: S. of Nossi-Be (USNM); Diego Suarez (ZMC); W. of Pt.Mahat- sinjo, S. of Nossi-Be (AMS; AIM); SEYCHELLES IS: (AMS); Bay of Ternay, Mahe I (coll. Dale); MAURITIUS: (AMS; SDNHM; USNM); REUNION I: Lagon de la Saline (coll. Martin); SOUTH AFRICA: Durban, Natal (NZGS; USNM); Algoa Bay (AMS). Fossil record. Bet-el-Ras, Zanzibar, Pliocene (Cox 1927). The subspecies plicatus is confined to the western Indian Ocean. It is this plicatus subspecies which has frequently been confused with Nassarius pullus (Linnaeus) by authors. A small form with close-set, low axial ribs and prominent spiral