Shell medium sized for the genus, up to 82 mm in length at maturity.
Length/width ratio 1.83-2.00 (extremes 1.79-2.02). biconical, broadly ovate, heavy, spinose, nodose. Subsutural ramp broad, weakly sloping, lightly convex, extending to P2. White or greyish white with primary and secondary cords topped with light or dark brown blotches or lines; some dark brown blotches between axial ribs on subsutural area and light brown or tan between some spiral cords, more obvious on varices. Area between P4 and P6 occasionally lighter colored giving the appearance of a broad, lighter colored spiral band. Aperture white. Spire high with 3 protoconch whorls and teleoconch of up to 8 broad, convex, strongly shouldered, spinose and nodose whorls. Suture impressed. Protoconch small, conical, last whorl minutely punctate, with a narrow, single keel abapically. Maximum width 900 µm, height 900 µm. Terminal lip thin, raised, of sinusigra type. Axial sculpture of teleoconch whorls consisting of high, broad, rounded ribs and high, strong, narrow, rounded varices; each varix of last teleoconch whorl with 16 or 17 short, frondose, narrow, open, primary and secondary spines and spinelets; subsutural area spinelets short, webbed, shoulder spine weakly longer, followed by small, not webbed, short spines, extending from s1 to s3; P4 spine short, connected to narrow s4; P5 to s6 longest spines, increasing in length and strength abapically, strongly webbed.

Spiral sculpture of low, rounded, narrow, squamous, primary, secondary and tertiary cords. First and second whorls with visible P1-P3, occasionally with P4 covered by next whorl; third and fourth whorls with IP, P1, s1, P2, s2, P3, s3, P4; fifth whorl with adis, IP, abis, P1, s1, P2, s2, P3, s4, P4 and a few threads between primary and secondary cords; sixth whorl of a juvenile specimen with adis, IP, abis, P1, s1, P2, s2, P3, s3, P4, s4, P5, s5, P6, s6 and two or three additional, broad, tertiary cords. Primary cords flanked by tertiary cords; P1- P4 cords narrow, P5 and P6 broader and higher, s6 broadest and highest cord. Last teleoconch whorl of adult shells similar. Aperture large, narrow, ovate. Columellar lip broad, with 3 or 4 elongate, weak knobs abapically and a strong parietal tooth at adapical extremity. Rim partially erect, adherent at adapical extremity, strongly flaring abapically. Anal notch shallow or moderately deep, broad. Outer lip weakly erect, crenulate, with very weak, low, elongate denticles within: ID, D1 split, D2 split, D3 split, D4 split, D5 split and D6 or D6 split. Siphonal canal moderately long, broad adaperturally, strongly tapering abapically, weakly dorsally recurved, narrowly open, with 5 or 6 short, webbed spines or spinelets extending from ADP, ads, MP, ms, ABP, and occasionally abs. ADP spine weakly dorsally bent. Operculum dark brown, ovate with subapical nucleus and strong concentric ridges. Radula unknown.

The shell is moderate in size for the genus (maximum length 76 mm) and fusiform. The spire is high, consisting of seven or eight weakly shouldered postnuclear whorls and a protoconch of undetermined nature. The suture is weakly impressed. The body whorl is moderate in size and fusoid. The aperture is moderately large and ovate, with a narrow, shallow anal sulcus. The outer apertural lip is erect and serrate; its inner surface is Urate, the lirae forming weak, transversely elongate denticles near the apertural margin. The columellar lip is adherent and more or less callused posteriorly, detached and erect anteriorly; the anterior end of the columella may bear up to three weak pustules. The siphonal canal is moderate in length, barely open, and dorsally recurved at its distal end.
The body whorl bears three fimbriate and briefly spinose varices. The anterior end of the varix generally bears a short to moderately long webbing. Intervarical axial sculpture consists of two or three ridges, these most prominent at the shoulder margin and becoming weak to ephemeral anteriorly. Spiral sculpture consists of seven scabrous major cords on the body and three on the canal, all of these intercalated by minor cords. The major cords on the body are produced into short, dorsally bent, open spines on the varices; the cords on the siphonal canal are developed into moderately long, more or less straight, open spines. In fresh examples many fine axial lamellae cover the shell and are thrown into scalelike projections over the spiral cords.
Shell color is whitish, with pale-orange or purple-pink suffusions and interrupted red-brown lines on the major spiral cords. The aperture is porcelaneous white.

The typical form of this species is found in deep water (140-160 m). Another form found in shallower water (40 m), has been identified as P. laciniatus (Sowerby, 1841), a species found in Australian and Philippine waters, but not occurring in Japan. Indeed, the shallower-dwelling form does superficially resemble P. laciniatus, a species of undoubtedly close relationship. It is distinct from true P. laciniatus in its larger size, differing color pattern, differing geographical range, larger, less circular aperture, and differing spire form. It differs from typical P. superbus in having a lower, broader spire, each whorl being less elevated, and in having generally a much more scabrous shell surface.

Southern Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, northeast Australia, Coral sea in 40 to 300 m for living specimens.