The shell is moderately large (maximum length 90 mm) and fusoid. The spire is high, consisting of two nuclear whorls and seven convex postnuclear whorls. The suture is impressed. The body whorl is moderately large and fusoid. The aperture is relatively small and subcircular, with a deep, narrow, flask-shaped anal sulcus that is almost closed at the apertural edge. The outer apertural lip is erect and coarsely dentate; its interior is broadly lirate, each lira extending inward from one of the coarse teeth. The columellar lip is arched and weakly erect. The siphonal canal is moderately broad above, tapering below to a distal tubelike portion, narrowly, medially open, and terminally recurved.
The body whorl bears three foliaceous varices. Other axial sculpture consists of one major costa and one or two minor intervarical costae, these most prominent at the shoulder. Spiral sculpture consists of numerous spiral cords and minutely tuberculate threads. Where the strongest cords intersect the varices, numerous short to moderately long, foliaceous, open spines are developed, the shoulder spine the longest. Above this, between the shoulder edge and the suture, there are three or four moderately long, straight spines. Below the shoulder, on the body, six moderately long, ventrally bent spines are developed. Four longer, straight spines are developed on the canal. In addition, ail regions bear small intercalating spinelets.
The shell is white through pinkish to pale rust-brown and dark purple-brown, the varices some-times darker. The interior of the aperture is often suffused with pink or vivid purple.

Chicoreus dilectus: Chicoreus dilectus (A. Adams, 1855) Lace Murex
Distribution: South Carolina, Florida, Texas. Size: 25 to 85 mm.
Description: Color brown with lighter shades of tan on varices; shape ovate; axial sculpture of 3 equidistant varices on each whorl, with spines on body whorl and siphonal canal; spiral sculpture a series of interrupted ribs; spire extended; suture distinct; aperture small, subcircular; apertural lip smooth and white; outer margins of aperture and siphonal canal bordered by scaly spines; shallow sinus at upper portion of aperture; last-formed siphonal canal narrow.
Habitat: Variable; mangrove swamps, sand, and mud; also on and under rocks. Depth range 0 to 150 m (492 ft).
Remarks: C dilectus confused with Bahamian C florifer (Reeve, 1846); however, C.ftoriferhzs larger spines. See Clench and Perez-Farfante (1945); Redfern (2001).

Specimens from Caribbean populations are darker brown and have a longer shoulder spine, and all spines are unbent.

Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and the northern Gulf of Mexico to northern Cuba and the northwestern Bahama Islands.