Shell up to 60.0 mm in length, elongate-ovate, body whorl inflated, teleoconch of 7-8 convex whorls, protoconch of 1½ smooth, glassy-brown embryonic whorls; post-embryonic whorls sculptured with axial riblets and 4 bisecting spiral cords which form nodules upon ribs, sculpture usually absent on last 2 whorls but rare examples with axial ribs and a few sutural nodules on body whorl. Aperture wide, outer lip convex and with a few spinose denticles on edge, interior finely striate, columella with a smooth, laminated callus and 1 parietal and 1 basal fold, siphonal notch and anal canal distinct, siphonal fasciole with 4-6 weak, oblique cords. White in colour, upper spire whorls tipped with violet, remainder ornamented with wide-spaced orange-brown spiral lines, a few brown streaks and usually a large brown blotch on the dorsal side of the body whorl. Operculum uniformly brown, margins simple or ragged, but not serrate.

TYPE LOCALITY. Asiatic Ocean (glans); none (lineatum Roeding and lineata Perry; suturale); Sydney, Australia error! (intermedia); Tomioka, Amakusa, Kyushu, Japan (nipponensis). DISTRIBUTION. From the Persian Gulf to India, Japan and the Marquesas Is. From the intertidal zone to 117 m. Type specimens. The holotype of N.glans (Linnaeus) is in the Linnean Society collection, London, and the holotype of glans nipponensis Kuroda & Habe, is probably in the Emperor of Japan's private collection. The types of Buccinum lineatum Roeding, B.suturale Lamarck, and Nassa intermedia Dunker, could not be traced. Material examined. GULF OF OMAN: Mina Al Fahal, Muscat (coll. Bosch); EAST AFRICA: Mozambique (USNM); MAURITIUS: (AMS; SDMNH); THAILAND: Kao Tao, Gulf of Thailand (USNM); PHILIPPINES: Davao, Mindanao; Tapul I (both USNM); Punta Engano, Mactan I, Cebu (coll. Dan); Ligtang, Rosario, S.tip of Manila Bay (coll. Deynzer); TAIWAN: (coll.Allo); RYUKYU IS: Okinawa (USNM); Seragaki, Okinawa (coll. Deynzer); JAPAN: Misaki (ZMC); Mikawa (coll. Powell); Osima, Osumi; Kagoshima; Chichijima, Bonin Is (all USNM); Kusui, Nado Cho, Wakayama (coll.Eker); Najima, Wakayama-Ken, 92 m (AMS); off Wakayama Pref., Honshu, 20 m (NSMT); CAROLINE IS: off Korak I, S. of Babelthuap, Palau Is (coll. Powell); Moen, Truk I (coll.McCausland); MARSHALL IS: Rongelap Atoll (USNM); Enewetak Atoll, 10 m (coll. Johnson); PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Port Moresby; Nimoa I, Louisiade Archipelago (both AMS); AUSTRALIA: West Australia: Coral Bay between Carnarvon and N.W.Cape; Learmonth, Exmouth Gulf (both coll. Hansen); Aiport Beach, Barrow I; between Cape Dupuy and Cape Malouet, Barrow 1 (both USNM); Monte Bello 1; Broome; E.side of Exmouth Gulf township; Bandicoot Bay, Barrow 1, 20°52'S & 115°19'E (all AMS); Northern Territory: Lee Pt., Darwin; Croker I, Arnhem Land; Black Pt., Port Essington, Coburg Peninsula (all AMS); Queensland: Bowen; Kurrimine Beach; Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic I; Cape Moreton, 117 (all AIM); near Gladstone (USNM); Pilot Pt., Bowen; Dunk I; Brampton I; Lady Elliott I; Long I; Townsville; Fairfax I, Bunker group; Port Douglas; Yeppoon; Yirrkalla, Arnhem Land; Lindeman I; Palm I; off Woody 1, Fraser I, 9 m; Gloucester I; Dingo Beach, Proserpine; Friday I, Torres Str.; Seaforth near Mackay; Hayman 1 (all AMS); SOLOMON IS: Utuna Passage, Florida I, 12-15 m (coll. Dillworth); Tulagi I, Florida group (coll. Hallinan); LOYALTY IS: Ouvea I (coll.Cole); Lifu I (AMS); NEW CALEDONIA: Anse Vata (AIM; AMS); Plage de Bourail (AIM); Noumea (ZMC); Baie de Citron (coll. Cole); 22° 17'S & 167°05'E, 80 m (MNHNP); Baie de Mondoure, Noumea (WOC); NEW HEBRIDES: Hideaway I, Efate I (coll.Cole); FIJI IS: Manava I, N. off Viti Levu (coll.Eker); Ketei, Totoya I (USNM); Nadi (AMS); Ogea I, Lau group (coll.Northgrove); TONGA IS: Nuku'alofa (USNM); SAMOA IS: (USNM); E.coast road past Solosolo, 11 m (coll.Scott). Fossil record. PLEISTOCENE: Kere River, Santo I (USGS). Nassarius glans glans has 2 subspecies, i.e. N.glans particeps (Hedley), from temperate waters of southern Australia (see Cernohorsky 1981a) and N. glans fenwicki Kilburn, 1972, from South Africa.