The shell is moderately large (maximum length 90 mm) and solidly rhomboid. The spire is high, consisting of one and one-half nuclear whorls, and seven weakly angulate postnuclear whorls. The suture is impressed. The body whorl is. large, broad, and strong. The aperture is small, subcircular, and almost entire, and is interrupted by a small anal sulcus. The outer apertural lip is erect and finely dentate; on its inner surface, lirae extend from these teeth into the aperture. The columellar lip is narrow and slightly erect, with a parietal callus. The siphonal canal is shorter than the spire, narrowly open, and distally recurved.
The body whorl bears three densely foliaceous varices. Additional axial sculpture consists of a single broad, very prominent node in each intervarical space. Spiral sculpture on the body whorl consists of about 12 cords of moderate development. In addition, the entire shell is covered with finely tuberculate threads. Where the cords intersect the varices, prominent, distally foliated spines are developed. The three or four uppermost spines arc recurved and progressively more dorsally bent toward the anterior, forming a gradual arc in that direction. The three shorter spines immediately below this arc are bent progressively more ventrally toward the anterior, forming an arc in a direction opposite to the upper arc. A single small spine marks the junction of the body and the canal. On the canal, four long recurved spines form a progressively ventrally oriented arc in which the spines diminish in length toward the anterior.
Shell color is blackish-brown to jet black. Populations with yellow-orange shells are known from several western Pacific localities (Guam, New Caledonia, etc.). The interior of the aperture is white, except for the margin, which is generally yellow (East African populations) or pinkish-red (Pacific populations).
In young specimens, especially those we have seen from the Solomon Islands, the entire shell surface is scabrous or laminate, the intervarical node is less prominent (two may be present), and the shell is more slender and elongate.

65mm. Thick, heavy, glossy, spire much shorter than last whorl. Siphonal canal almost closed. 3 non-aligned, frondose varices per whorl. Coarse spiral ribs with superimposed riblets. Outer lip
wrinkled; aperture and columella smooth. Brown with darker brown ribs; aperture white; columella stained orange. Habitat: offshore and beached. Distribution: GO.

Occurs intertidally throughout the Indo-West Pacific.