Shell elongate ovate, height 22.6 mm, width 11.4 mm, thin and shining. Planktotrophic protoconch approximately 3.3 whorls, last 1.5 carinated. Teleoconch 7.5 convex whorls, regularly ribbed, dorsal side of last whorl with ribs only unto periphery, lower part smooth, aside from 3 axial ribs towards outer lip, last one prominent; edge of outer lip thin. Suture channeled, at the last whorl accentuated by ribs higher than bottom of channel. Penultimate whorl with approximately 30, last whorl with 22 ribs. First 5 teleoconch whorls with 1 to 2 prominent spiral cords, strongest one below suture, causing fine glistening beads near suture; last 2 whorls with shallow groove below suture, getting less prominent towards outer lip. Five spiral grooves at base, siphonal area with 3 cords.
Aperture oval, outer lip thin, inside with approximately 15 short, evenly-sized lirae. Columella with 1 to 2 weak folds,
basal cords visible; callus anteriorly laminate, posteriorly thinning and slightly extending over last whorl. Some callosity near anal canal; parietal denticle prominent, anal canal wide. Operculum not present in holotype, yellow in other specimens.
Intraspecific variation: Color varies from white to pale yellow, on dorsal side of last whorl, below suture, a chestnut-brown band; on periphery and at base a paler band. Size of adult specimens from 22.5 mm to 30.5 mm.

Nassarius houbricki sp. nov. may be compared with Nassarius siquijorensis (A. Adams, 1852) and Nassarius alabasteroides Kool, 2009. Cernohorsky (1991: 201) misidentified specimens of Nassarius alabasteroides Kool, 2009 and N. houbricki sp. nov. as Nassarius (Zeuxis) siquijorensis (A. Adams, 1852). Nassarius siquijorensis (discussed and figured by Kool (2007: 89; Figs 17-20)) is finely ribbed all over the shell and not as thin and light in weight as N. houbricki sp. nov. The distribution of N. siquijorensis as es-tablished by Cernohorsky (1991: 202) ranges from the Red Sea to Japan and New Caledonia, but Kool (2009: 98) showed that it is limited to the western Pacific; it occurs neither in Japan nor in the Red Sea. Tsuchiya (in Okutani 2000: pi. 221, Fig. 35) figured a specimen of N. euglyptus (Sowerby III, 1914) from Japan under the name N. siquijorensis (Kool 2007: 89; Figs. 13-16). Also, the occurrence of N. siquijorensis in New Caledonia is a misidentification with N. alabasteroides Kool 2009 [Lots mentioned by Cernohorsky (1991: 201-202): DC63, DC84, DC66, DC67, 258, 263, 265, 266, 270, 276, 289, 293, 294, 295, 296, 312, 315, 318, 320 and CC175] and N. houbricki sp. nov. [Lots mentioned by Cernohorsky (1991: 201-202): DC 33, CP10, 284, 347, DW151, DW186 and DW367]. Nassarius alabasteroides is distinguished from N. houbricki sp. nov., because is more elongate, taller, lighter and by its less prominent ribs.
Loch (1992: 1) figured Nassarius houbricki sp. nov. under the name Nassarius cf. psila (Watson, 1882), from Queensland, off Raine Islands at a depth of 284 m. Cernohorsky (1984: pl. 2, Figs 9-10) and Kaicher (card 3467) figured the holotype of N. psila and there are several differences between the two species: N. psila is smaller, has finer axial ribs on the early whorls and has no ribs on the ventral side of the last whorl. Nassarius houbricki sp. nov. has strong ribs on the early whorls as well as on the ventral side of the last whorl; it is also light in weight, but not very thin' as Kaicher (card 3467) describes N. psila.

Found in Australia (Queensland), New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Coral sand at depths, ranging from 62 to 375 m. Type locality Solomon Islands, East Malaita, 09°15'S, 161°21'E, 150-175 m