Shell to 52.0 mm in length, cylindrically-ovate, solid, spire short and pointed, teleoconch of 5-7 whorls in addition to protoconch of 2-3 glassy-white embryonic whorls; sculpture on spire decidedly granulose, consisting of spiral grooves which number 2-4 on the penultimate whorl, and weak axial folds which form low, weak granules; granules continue with 3-5 rows anteriorly to the shoulder and are followed by 17-25 finely incised, shallow, smooth or obsoletely punctate spiral grooves, base of shell with 4-7 cords on siphonal fasciole; longitudinal sculpture on the body whorl consists of numerous crowded, very fine axial growth-striae. Aperture much longer than the spire, smooth within, outer lip prominently thickened and sometimes obsoletely crenuiate in its anterior fourth; juncture of aperture with a callous pad on parietal wall in mature specimens, lower half of columella calloused, callus partly overlapping on to body whorl. White in color, spire blotched and streaked with brown, body whorl with 3-5 rows of squarish brown blotches which may coalesce into streaks or bands, some specimens pale, brown periostracum moderately thin or thicker and more opaque, often imbedded in spiral grooves.

The species is quite distinct and cannot be confused with any other similar species. Salisbury (1979) tried to resurrect Reeve's taxon Mitra obesa on the grounds that it is broader at the shoulder, thus becoming more conical in appearance. These conclu¬sions have obviously been reached through lack of comparative material, and I agree with Tryon, Dautzenberg, Dance and other authors in placing obesa in synonymy of dactylus. Dr. N. Tebble, in an MS note on the type of M. obesa, arrived at the same conclusion as far as its synonymy is concerned. Senile specimens of dactylus show an appreciable callus at the extreme posterior end of the parietal wall, the shoulder tends to broaden and the base of the columella has a distinct callus which overlaps on to the body whorl.

From India to Japan and Polynesia. Habitat - In clean and muddy coral sand, on sand banks and in lagoons, from the intertidal zone to a depth of 40 m.