Despite its plain appearance, Neptunea nivea is a cold-water whelk most sought-after by collectors of the family Buccinidae, especially in Japan. This is because it is a bathyal species inhabiting very deep water around -1000~3000m, and as a result it very rarely appears on the market. A carnivorous and scavenging gastropod inhabiting soft muddy bottoms, it is supposedly endemic to a small part of Pacific Japan ranging from Miyagi Prefecture to southern Hokkaido, although its true range may extend to the Sea of Okhotsk. Most specimens have been obtained as trawl by-catches from either Kinkasan, Miyagi Prefecture or Cape Erimo, Hokkaido. The shell is ornamented by indistinct spiral ridges which is weakest on the body whorl, and bear a thin layer of greenish brown periostracum which is usually almost completely eroded away in adult specimens. The apex is usually corroded to a certain extent; the operculum is smaller than the aperture although a certain variation is seen in its size relative to the aperture. Typical shell length around 100mm., extremely large specimens may exceed 140mm. It may be confused with Neptunea convexa Goryachev, 1978, but differs from it by having a more inflated shell, deeper suture, and relatively shorter spire. It has been placed by some authors, such as Higuchi, 2006, in the genus Tacita; but it is currently generally accepted to be a member of Neptunea.