The shell is moderately small for the genus (maximum length 55 mm) and spindleshaped. The spire is moderately high, consisting of two and one-half polished, convex nuclear whorls and five subangulate postnuclear whorls. The suture is impressed and undulate. The body whorl is small to moderate in size and subglobose. The aperture is ovate, with a moderately broad, shallow anal sulcus, this delimited parietally by a strong transverse ridge. The outer apertural lip is weakly erect, marginally crenulate, and denticulate within. The columellar lip is adherent posteriorly, detached and moderately erect anteriorly; over the columella it bears eight oblique denticles, starting anteriorly. The siphonal canal is moderately long, narrowly open, and distally recurved.
The body whorl bears three sparsely spined varices, more or less weakly sulcate on their trailing edges. Intervarical axial sculpture consists of two prominent costae. Spiral sculpture consists of six cords of equal size that are nodulose over the costae and on the varices. Three cords, one at the shouldermargin and two at the base of the body, form short, sharp spines on the varices. The shouldermargin spine is closed and posteriorly hooked; the two lower spines are straight and ventrally open. One or two cords on the upper portion of the canal are developed into short, sharp, straight, closed spines. Fine threads alternate with the cords over the entire shell.
Shell color is variable, ranging from bright orange or yellow through yellow-green and pink. Some specimens show a white ground color banded with pink.

Distribution: Texas; North Carolina to Florida; Bahamas. Size: 50 mm.
Description: Color variable, may be whitish, pinkish, or rose; shell spindle shaped; axial sculpture a series of varices with strong, rounded axial ribs between varices that may have spines, particularly at base adjacent to long, narrow siphonal canal; axial sculpture crossed by numerous spirally keeled ridges and alternating threads; nuclear whorls smooth; aperture subcircular; outer lip crenulate with a thin channel that separates the body whorl from the inner aperture. Habitat: Calcareous environments at depths from 0 to 105 m (345 ft). Remarks: The genus Haustellum is restricted to the southwest Pacific, giving rise to Vokesimurex. See Perez-Farfante (1945); Redfern (2001); Rosenberg (2007). Synonym: H. rubidum (Baker, 1897).

East and west coasts of Florida and the Bahama Islands, in 20-160 m