Personal note S. Gori: This could be Thala adamsi.

Shell small, to c. 10 mm in length and 3.0 mm in width, slender, smooth, shiny, whorls slightly convex. Protoconch slender cylindrical, multispiral, 0.7 mm long and 0.4 mm wide at the base, consisting of 3 to 3,5 white, glassy embryonic whorls. Teleoconch of 7 whorls with straight sides, spire slightly concave in outline, whorls not shouldered, sutures rather shallow, early whorls with 11-18 prominent longitudinal ribs, bisected by a strong subsutural groove; interstices with 5-6 fine macroscopic, spiral grooves which do not bisect the ribs. Bodywhorl with 18-20 prominent axial ribs; ribs wide and flattened, interstices with fine macroscopic spiral grooves. Base with 5-7 flat, spiral cords, the largest being somewhat pustulate. Aperture narrow, outer lip smooth, with 12-14 denticles on the inside, interior of aperture without lirations. Columella with 5-6 plicae, siphonal notch narrow and open, and siphon recurved. Coloured white to light yellow, with bright-yellow stains between the longitudinal ribs.

Similar to Vexillum (Costellaria) fraudator. The two species can easily be confused because they are nearly identical in size, shape and colour. Vexillum (C) fraudator is much more common however, and found in many Indo-Pacific localities. The protoconchs of Thala maldivensis and the Vexillum species differ in shape and size. The shell of T maldivensis is smoother, its ribs are wider and flattened. The sculpture in the aperture is the key difference, however. Thala maldivensis has a columella with 5-6 plicae and an outer lip which is sculptured with 12-14 denticles, the interior of the aperture is smooth. In V. (C) fraudator the columella has only 4 plicae and the aperture is sculptured inside with lirations ending at some distance from the edge, leaving the inside of the outer lip smooth. In addition there is a fold-like callus near the posterior aperture angle which is lacking completely in T maldivensis.

Known only from the Maldives. In sand and in caves, at 26-35 m.