Shell small sized for the genus, up to 44.5 mm in length at maturity. Biconical, broadly ovate, heavy, squamous and nodose.
Spire high with 1.5-2 protoconch whorls and teleoconch of up to 7 or 8 relatively broad, strongly convex, more or less shouldered, weakly spinose, nodose whorls.
Axial sculpture of teleoconch whorls consisting of low, narrow, nodose ribs and high, strong, narrow, frondose varices, each with short, frondose, narrow spines extending from primary and secondary spiral cords. Last whorl with 3 varices and 2, rarely 3, more or less conspicuous intervarical nodes. Last (apertural) varix broadest and large. Additional axial sculpture of squamous growth lamellae. Spiral sculpture of moderately high, rounded, primary, secondary and tertiary cords. Subsutural ramp of last teleoconch whorl with adis, IP, abis, and additional tertiary cords, followed by P1, t, s1, t, then P2 on shoulder margin; convex part of whorl with s2, P3, s3, P4, (s4), P5, s5, P6, s6, occasionally followed by one or two tertiary cords. Siphonal canal with ADP, MP, ABP. P2-P6 spines crowded, very close from each other, joined by varical flange, forming ventrally squamous varix. Aperture broad, roundly ovate. Columellar lip narrow with low parietal tooth at adapical extremity, otherwise smooth; rim weakly erect. Anal notch narrow, shallow. Outer lip erect, crenulated, with narrow lirae within, extending into aperture, corresponding to split ID, Dl-D6. Siphonal canal short, broad, strongly dorsally recurved at tip, narrowly open, with adapically curved ADP, MP, and ABP spines. ADP spine more or less dorsally bent.
Light tan, brown or light orange with weakly or strongly darker coloured axial varices on last teleoconch whorl, or uniformly coloured with occasional additional dark blotches on varices and subsutural ramp. Spire whorls occasionally pinkish. Columellar lip light pink to dark mauve, aperture white or bluish-white.

Small or subadult shells of Chicomurex tagaroae could be confused with C. turschi (Houart, 1981). However, small specimens of C. tagaroae are stouter than C. turschi with a comparatively lower spire, lower and relatively broader whorls and narrower, more numerous intervarical ribs. The siphonal canal is shorter with more crowded ADP, MP, and ABP spines, and the columellar lip is light to darker mauve in C. tagaroae while always white in C. turschi.
Chicomurex tagaroae may also be compared with C. rosadoi (Houart, 1999) from Mozambique, but C. tagaroae has lower, more numerous teleoconch whorls relative to its shell length, a shorter siphonal canal, less obvious intervarical nodes. Importantly, C. tagaroae has a very different protoconch which is almost 3 or 4 times smaller than that of C rosadoi, which has a voluminous protoconch denoting intracapsular larval development.
The other Chicomurex species, all occurring in the Indo-West Pacific and some in the Philippines, are not easily confused and do not need to be compared here.

Type locality. Philippines, Mindanao, Surigao, Mabua, trawled in 80-100 m, 2013.
Distribution. Indo-W.Pac. (P). Southern Philippines, north of Mindanao, living at 80-100 m.