A Columbarium with a gradate spire and posteriorly directed keel spikes; posterior whorl slope smooth, slightly convex; anterior slope of body whorl with the anterior carina only. Canal without lirae. Height 69 mm; Width 17,5 mm

Shell thin, fragile. Spire moderately elevated, scalar, canal very long. Spire ornamented
with strong peripheral girdle somewhat below the middle on the spire whorls, the
edges drawn out into strong, obliquely set, sharp pointed, flat based spines, mostly worn
off on the early spire whorls. On the body whorl a second minor flange is developed about
the level of the apertural suture. Other sculpture consists of growth lines which have the appearance of low, flattened lamellae arched backwards on the sutural ramp, strongly
forward between the peripheral flange and the second flange on the body whorl, practically
straight on the base and then twisted strongly backwards to the base of the siphonal canal.
Where these cross the second flange on the body whorl, this is rendered minutely nodulous.
Growth lines strongly marked down the siphonal canal. Protoconch of moderate size,
deviated paucispiral. Aperture drawn out into a long siphonal canal, which is somewhat
irregularly sinuous. Aperture strongly angled by the two flanges. Outer lip thin, inner
lip rather excavated. The shell is chalky white on the surface, with a faintly purple brown
coloration on the inner surface. Length, 69.3mm; diam., 17.1mm (without spines); 24.2mm
(including spines).
Locality : Haul 22—28 miles E.N.E. of Poor Knights Islands, 305—340 fathoms, 11.11.1962.
Holotype (M. 16274) in Dominion Museum.
The new species appears to be most closely allied to C. hedleyi Iredale from New South Wales and to C. pagoda Lesson from Japan. From C. hedleyi it differs in the different setting of the spines (more upright in veridicum), in having more spines on the body whorl (11 as against 8 in hedleyi), in having one subsidiary spiral on the lower portion of the body whorl instead of two, and in lacking the rows of spirals on the canal.
From C. pagoda it differs in having the spines less upright, a considerably wider spire angle, and in lacking the spirals on the canal, and apparently in the poor development of the inner lip.

Dell has given a very full description of this unique specimen and differentiated the species from Columbarium pagoda on the basis of the direction of projection of the keel spikes which are more upright in pagoda, and the lack of any form of spiral sculpture on the canal of C. veridicum.

LOCATION OF TYPE: Dominion Museum, Wellington, New Zealand: Holotype Ml 6274.
TYPE LOCALITY: 28 miles ENE. of Poor Knights Island 305-340 fathoms, North Is., New Zealand.