Shell to 39.0 mm in length, cylindrically-elongate, some specimens broader than others, solid, spire short, teleoconch of 5-6 flattened or very weakly convex whorls, protoconch of 1.5-2 glassy-white embryonic whorls, sutures narrowly channeled; sculptured with 2-4 spiral grooves on the body whorl and bisecting axial lirae which produce nodulose cords and a row of sutural nodules, body whorl with 25-35 punctate spiral grooves and bisecting low longitudinal lirae, base of shell with 4-8 crowded, oblique folds. Aperture much longer than the spire, narrow, smooth within, outer lip thick and faintly crenulate, aperture calloused basally and with 7-9 oblique folds, parietal wall at juncture of aperture with a callus-pad in mature specimens. White to cream in color, ornamented with orange-brown to rusty-brown, interrupted transverse zones on the body whorl and spots and blotches of the same color on the spire; in some specimens the transverse zones coalesce and form large longitudinal zones on body whorl almost obscuring the whitish base color and occasionally showing tent-shaped edges on the dorsum of the body whorl; aperture white to bluish-white. Some individuals from Polynesia tend towards albinism.

The species is closely similar to P. sinensis (Reeve), but differs mainly in its smoother sculpture which consists of punctate spiral grooves and not granulose spiral cords, and the distinct color pattern.

Range - From the Red Sea to Japan, Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands. Habitat - In coral and weedy sand, from the intertidal zone to a depth of 92 m.