Shell up to 87 mm in length at maturity, lanceolate, broadly ovate, heavy, weakly spinose, squamous and nodose. Spire high with 2+ protoconch whorls (partially broken in examined specimens). Teleoconch of up to 7 or 8 broad, weakly convex, shouldered, spinose and nodose whorls. Protoconch (Fig. 13L) small, conical. Whorls smooth, with a narrow, single keel abapically. Terminal lip erect, of sinusigera type. Axial sculpture of teleoconch whorls consisting of low, narrow, nodose ribs on 2 or 3 first whorls and high, narrow, rounded varices and intervarical ribs on other whorls, each varix with short, narrow, open primary and secondary spinelets. Other axial sculpture of 2 low, broad intervarical ribs, broader and higher on penultimate and last whorls. Penultimate and last whorls with 3 varices and 2 strong intervarical ribs or nodes; last whorl usually with a stronger and a weaker node. Spiral sculpture of high, rounded, narrow, squamous, primary, secondary and tertiary cords and weak threads. Spiral sculpture of subsutural ramp of last whorl with adis, IP adis and additional threads, followed abapically by P1, s1, P2, s2, P3, s3, P4, s4, P5, s5, P6, s6 on convex part of whorl; s6 almost similar in strength and height to P6, followed by 2 or 3 strong tertiary cords. Spiral cords ending as short spines on varices. IP-P4 extending as very short, open, slightly adapically curved spines; P4—s6 somewhat longer, increasing in length and width abapically, webbed; ADP strongly dorsally recurved, MP longer, straight or weakly curved, ABP shorter; secondary cords forming short spinelets between primary spines. Aperture large, broadly ovate. Columellar lip moderately broad, flaring, smooth, with 2 or 3 elongate, weak knobs abapically or covered with small rugae; low parietal tooth at adapical extremity. Anal notch broad, moderately deep. Outer lip erect, crenulated, with weak elongate denticles within: ID split and D1-D6 split. Siphonal canal long, broad, weakly dorsally recurved, narrowly open, with 3 frondose, broad, short spines: ADP, MP, ABP and occasional ads.
Creamy white or light tan with numerous dark brown spots on spiral cords, occasionally with brown band covering P2, s2 and s6, t6 and space between these cords. Aperture glossy white, occasionally with fine dark brown, continuous or interrupted, line along outer edge.

-200m, Balut Island, Davao Occidental, Philippines, 64.5mm., PARATYPE.
Chicomurex pseudosuperbus is a large Chicomurex ranging from Okinawa, Japan to Philippines to New Caledonia and Queensland, Australia. Majority of specimens have come from the central Philippines where it is comm.on, outside Philippines it is uncomm.on to moderately rare. It was named pseudosuperbus because it has been misidentified as C. superbus in the recent literature. It has been confused with C. lani Houart Moe Chen, 2014 [which was thought to be C. superbus (Sowerby III, 1889) until the rediscovery of its holotype, C. superbus is now a senior synomym of C. problematicus (Lan, 1981)] but has a larger shell, more adressed suture, longer siphonal canal, more obvious axial nodes, and a more scabrous shell. It differs from the true C. superbus by having a narrower, higher spired shell with narrower secondary cords; also importantly the spiral cords are not as clearly overlaid with brown line as in C. superbus. It is presumably a carnivorous gastropod like other Chicomurex and inhabits moderate depths around -60~200m. Typical shell length around 65mm., very large specimens may reach 85mm.

Chicomurex pseudosuperbus was confused with C. superbus auct. (= C lani) by Springsteen & Leobrera (1986) and Houart (2008), and with C. venustulus auct. (= C. gloriosus) by Merle et al (2011). Chicomurex pseudosuperbus differs from C. gloriosus in having a larger shell relative to the number of teleoconch whorls and a comparatively narrower aperture. Similar to C. globus, the colour bands are situated differently on the last teleoconch whorl. In C. gloriosus they cover s2-P5 or s2-s5 or P3-s4, while in C. pseudosuperbus they cover P2-s2 and s6 plus one or two tertiary cords below s6.
Chicomurex pseudosuperbus differs from C. superbus in having a narrower shell with a comparatively higher spire, less coloured spiral cords and often, less obvious secondary spiral cords. In C. superbus the secondary cords are almost as broad and high than the primary cords or weakly smaller, in C. pseudosuperbus they are half the size of the primary cords or even less. Chicomurex pseudosuperbus differs from C. lani in having a larger shell relative to the number of teleoconch whorl, a more adpressed suture, a comparatively longer siphonal canal, more obvious axial nodes on the last teleoconch whorl and a more scabrous shell. Also, C. lani is not currently confirmed from the Philippines.
Chicomurex pseudosuperbus differs significantly from the two other species with a conical protoconch, C. globus and C venustulus, which do not need to be compared here.

Distribution. Indo-W.Pac. (P). Japan, Taiwan, Philippine Islands, New Caledonia and Queensland, Australia, living in 60-200 m.