Shell medium-sized (up to 34.1 mm in length), elongated fusiform, heavy. Spire high, 0.56-0.58 total length; periphery of last whorl and spire whorls strongly convex (less so on early whorls), siphonal canal narrow and tapering. Teleoconch of 10 whorls. Suture narrow, adpressed, distinct. Sculpture of very strong, rounded axial ribs, which almost reach upper suture, forming their periphery at mid-whorl but are still strong at lower suture; nine on penultimate whorl, 10 on last whorl, where they continue to about mid-columella level; ribs tend to line up on adjacent whorls, their intervals deep. Axials crossed by numerous low, flat and thin spiral threads, which become indistinct in shoulder concavity, but slightly stronger on lower part of last whorl. Interstitial spiral striae absent. Numerous axial growth lines. Aperture elongate, subrectangular. Outer lip broken, anal sinus unknown. Columella straight, narrow. Anterior canal short, deep, narrow, anterior tip shallowly notched. Protoconch high, conical, two whorls, smooth; breadth 0.91-1.01 mm. Off-white in colour. Etymology: Latin adjective, creteus, meaning chalky. Distribution: Known only from the type locality, Yellow Sea and SCS. Remarks
This species appears to resemble material from Hong Kong reported by Taylor and Wells 1994: 106, pl. l d,e, as Funa spectrum (Reeve, 1845), but apparently differs in its more convex whorls and more strongly rounded axial ribs and uniformly dull white colour. Furthermore, the identity of the Hong Kong specimens requires confirmation, as the type figure of Pleurotoma spectrum (Reeve 1845: pl. 25, sp. 222) differs greatly in shape from them, and the shell labelled as holotype (BMNH 1968604) is a faded immature shell with broken lip that does not appear to much resemble Reeve's figure. Pleurotoma spectrum should probably be regarded as a nomen dubium.