Shell up to 20.0 mm in length, elongate-ovate, teleoconch of 4½-5½ weakly convex whorls which are subangulate at sutures, protoconch of 24-3 glassy embryonic whorls, last whorl finely carinate; sculptured with numerous small nodules which are arranged in the form of axial ribs numbering from 20-30 on the penultimate and from 30-40 on the body whorl; two rows of nodules anterior to sutures usually doubled up. Columellar callus thick and porcellaneous, squared on top and extending onto body whorl without reaching the body whorl suture; interior of aperture lirate, outer lip with 10-12 denticles, columella with 3-9 small plicae or short denticles. Cream, yellow or fawn in colour, occa- sionally faintly banded and sprinkled with brown, protoconch golden-brown, 3-4 post-embryonic whorls violet or purplish-brown, aperture white. Operculum brown and serrate at margins.

TYPE LOCALITY. West Indies error! (albescens); Vavao, Samoa (bicolor); Albay, Luzon, Philippines, 11 m (retecosa; adamsiana; baguenai); Bali, Indonesia, is here designated as the type locality of N.albescens albescens (specimens in AMS). DISTRIBUTION. From the Nicobar Is to Japan and the Cook Is. In clean, coralline, weedy or muddy sand, from the intertidal zone to a depth of 20 m. Type specimens. Three syntypes of N.albescens albescens (Dunker), are in the Zoological Museum, Humboldt University, Berlin, and the specimen measuring length 14.5 mm, width 9.5 mm, is here selected as the lectotype (Pl.7, fig.11). Three syntypes of Nassa retecosa A.Adams (which are also the types of N.adamsiana Marrat and N. baguenai Mari), are in the British Museum (N.H.), London, No.1973119 and the immature syntype, length 20.3 mm, width 12.8 mm, is here selected as the lectotype.