Nassarius pullus is a variable species, primarily in terms of shape and extent of the columellar callous shield and of sculptural features. The Thai specimens exhibit I) columellar callus expanded but hardly reaching the suture between penultimate and body whorl, 2) collabral ribs low, narrower than the intervening spaces, crossed by feeble spirals; sculpture often missing from later spire whorls. The related Nassarius leptospirus (Adams, 1852) and Nassarius bellulus (Adams, 1852) have comparatively sharper sculpture and a subsutural row of nodes.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. Nassarius pullus is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, from Mauritius to New Caledonia and northward to Japan. It occurs commonly in mud flats and within mangroves (ABBOTT & DANCE, 1982; CERNOHORSKY, 1984). WAY & PURCHON (1981) recorded the species from mangroves, intertidal and subtidal sands, rocks, corals and rocky shores of Malaya and Singapore. It was also recovered from sandy mud and mud flats seaward of mangrove forest on the west coast of Thailand (TANTANASIRIWONGANA, 1978).
FOSSIL RECORDS. Pliocene of Indonesia; Quaternary of the Red Sea area.

Shell up to 25.0 mm in length, elongate-ovate, solid, teleoconch of 7-7½ convex whorls, upper spire whorls subangulate, protoconch of 24-2½ glassy, yellowish-brown embryonic whorls; spire whorls sculptured with coarse axial ribs, ribs continuous to body whorl or obsolete, spiral sculpture consisting of grooves or spiral cords, spirals usually obsolete but occasionally produced especially anterior to spire-whorl sutures, base of body whorl with 4-5 somewhat granulose cords, dorsum with a prominent hump which may become obsolete. Aperture narrow, prominently denticulate-lirate, col- umella denticulate anteriorly, columellar callus large, shining, usually extending to penultimate whorl, but in some individuals shorter or longer. Siphonal notch very deep. Variable in colour, brown, grey or greenish-yellow, occasionally with a narrow pale central line, columella callus cream to pale orange, area above the parietal denticle frequently brownish, interior of aperture dark brown, dorsal hump frequently darker on pale specimens. Operculum brown, ragged at margins.

TYPE LOCALITY. Mediterranean = error! (pullus); Asiatic Ocean (thersites); Masbate, Philippines (dorsuosa); Ascension I = Ponape, Caroline Is (gracilis); Mauritius (irus); Mergui Archipelago (acypha); Sondé beds, Gendingan district, Java, Pliocene of Indonesia (sondeiana). DISTRIBUTION. From Mauritius to India, Japan and New Caledonia. Intertidal, in muddy sand and among mangroves. Type specimens. The probable holotype of N.pullus (Linnaeus), is in the collection of the Linnean Society, London; the specimen has the number "458" of the 12th edition "Systema Naturae" on the callus-shield and measures length 22.0 mm, width 13.4 mm. The type of Buccinum thersites is no longer extant, and fig.413 on plate 41 from Martini (1773), vol.2, is designated as the illustrated lec- totype (pl.3, fig. 3). Two syntypes of Nassa dorsuosa A. Adams, are in the British Museum (N.H.), London, No.197335, and the 15.5 mm long syntype is here designated as the lectotype (pl.3, fig.2). The holotype of N.thersites var. irus v.Martens, length 17.3 mm, and N.thersites var. acypha v.Martens, length 17.0 mm, are both in the Zoological Museum, Humboldt University, Berlin. The type of N.sondeiana K.Martin, is in the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie, Leiden, and the type of N.gracilis Pease, appears to be lost. Material examined. MAURITIUS: (coll.Marrow); MALDIVE IS: (ZSI); INDIA: N. of Goa (USNM); SRI LANKA: (USNM); BURMA: Tavoy coast (USNM); THAILAND: Koh Chang; E. side of Ko Phuket (both ZMC); Ao Nam Bor (coll. Wong); Koh Maprao; Koh Chang; Koh Samui (all USNM); Surachai, Gulf of Thailand (coll. Orr); MALAYSIA: Alligator I, N. of Singapore (coll. Powell); Singapore (SDNHM; USNM); Tanjong Rhu, Kedah (coll. Richardson); Pulau Langkawi, Kedah (coll. McCausland); INDONESIA: Pasir Putih near Panjang, Lam- pung province, Sumatra; Balikpapan, E.Laimantan, Borneo; Kupang, W.Timor; between Palu and Donggala, Sulawesi; Pantai Pura, N.of Kupang, W.Timor; Kalahabi Harbour, Alor I, N.of Timor; N.E. of Bangka I, Sumatra; Pasir Putih (all coll. McCausland); Labuan, N.Borneo; Marudu Bay, N.Borneo; Sandakan, N. Borneo (all USNM); off mouth of Mahakan River, E.Borneo (AMS); PHILIPPINES: Cebu (ZMC); Santa Margarita, Samar; near Cebu City, Cebu; Misamis Pt., Mindanao; Tilig, Lubang; Quezon (all USNM); Hoilo (LACM); Panay I (coll.Dan); CHINA: Hongkong (BMNH; USNM); Tai Tan Harbour, New Territories; Lantao I, Shiu Hao (all coll.Morton); China Seas; Hianan (both USNM); Tolo Harbour, Hongkong (coll.Orr); Tung Fuk, Lan- tow I, Hongkong (AMS); TAIWAN: (USNM); Takao (SDNHM); RYUKYU IS: Seragaki, Okinawa I (coll.Deynzer); JAPAN: Nagasaki (USNM); CAROLINE IS: Yap I (USNM); WEST IRIAN: Soendidori Bay, Soepiori, Schouten Is (coll. Powell); PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Hood's Bay (USNM); Nui I, Madang Harbour; Hermit group (both AMS); Samarai (NMV); AUSTRALIA: Queensland: Magnetic I: Pt.Martin; Green I (all AIM); Lucinda Pt. (coll. Powell); Port Denison (NZGS); Cooya Beach, N.of Port Douglas (coll.Gardner); Four mile reef; Langford reef (both AIM); Port Curtis; Adelaide creek, Port Dennison (both USNM); Townsville; Yeppoon; Wynnum, Moreton Bay (all LACM); Cairns Harbour; Bowen; off Peel I, Moreton Bay; Tin Can Bay, N. of Gympie; Pancake creek, Bustard I; Scarborough; Bundaberg; Facing I; Buchan's Pt., N.of Cairns; Urangan area, Hervey Bay; Nellies Beach, Proserpine; Mackay; Lindeman I; Heron I; Cape Flattery near Cooktown; Palm I, N.of Cooktown; Port Curtis; Hagerstone; Thursday I, Torres Str. (all AMS); Dundowran; Orpheus I; Bowen; Brampton I; Redcliff; Yule Pt., Cairns (all NMV); Clontarf beach (coll. Hoskings); SOLOMON IS: Komimbo Bay, Guadacanal (Auckland Univ.); NEW HEBRIDES: Surinda, Espiritu Santo (coll. Cole); NEW CALEDONIA: Houailou, East coast (coll.Taylor).

Described by Pease as Nassa gracilis:
Shell solid, acuminately ovate, longitudinally finely plicately ribbed, interstices concave and distantly grooved transversely, marginated at the sutures; spire slender, acute ; aperture small; columella covered with a yellowish callosity, extending on to the penultimate whorl, strongly dentate on its edge and furnished with a laminate callosity above; lip much thickened and strongly ridged within its whole length; color dark chestnut brown.