Ocinebrina edwardsii: The shell is moderately small (maximum length 22 mm) and broadly fusiform. The spire is high, consisting of barely one convex nuclear whorl and five or six convex to barely shouldered postnuclear whorls. The suture is impressed. The body whorl is of moderate size and fusoid. The aperture is moderately large and ovate, with a barely perceptible anal sulcus. The outer apertural lip is essentially nonerect; its inner surface bears five or six weak denticles. The columellar lip is slightly flaring, lightly callused, and largely adherent. The siphonal canal is moderately short and fused.
The body whorl bears ten axial ridges that may be considered varices. In some individuals these ridges are no more than nodes extending to just above and just below the shoulder margin. Spiral sculpture consists of ten strong major cords, two on the canal, two on the shoulder, and six on the body. Between each two major cords a single strong minor cord is apparent. The variability of shell form and sculpture seen in this species, and so typical of many Mediterranean species, has led to the introduction of a large number of synonymous names. Shell color is yellow-brown to purple-brown or purplish-gray, with a porcelaneous white aperture.

Shell up to 20 mm in length with 1.25-1.50 protoconch whorls and up to 5-5.5 teleoconch whorls. Protoconch moderately small, with few, small granules. Whorls rounded. Axial sculpture of last teleoconch whorl highly variable, usually consisting of 7 or 8 low, rounded, nodose ribs; other shells with 3-5 broad or narrow varices; shells with 3 varices on last whorl usually bear one axial node between each pair of varices. Spiral sculpture consisting of numerous weak or strong, tuberculate, primary and secondary cords.
Aperture small or moderately large, broad, ovate or roundly-ovate. Outer lip erect with usually 5 or 6 weak or strong denticles within. Columellar lip narrow, smooth, adherent. Siphonal canal short, sealed. Color highly variable, from light tan to uniformly dark brown; usually light tan with dark brown blotches or brown spiral bands.

Ocinebrina edwardsii is common, and is one of the most variable European muricid species. Many forms were named and may designate extreme color forms or morphs. However, trying to separate all these forms is an impossible task as there are always intermediate specimens between one form and another. This is most obvious in a large quantity of shells originating from different parts of its geographical distribution, or even from a single locality. However, 6 taxa, some of them once considered as synonyms of O. edwardsii in other publications could be separated on shell characters, and are here considered as valid: O. ingloria (Crosse. 1X65), O. helleri (Brusina. 1865). O. nicolai Monterosato, O. hispidula (Pallary, 1904), O. miscowichae (Pallary, 1920) and O. purpuroidea (Pallary, 1920). A black form from the Canary Islands (Figs. 329-330) was named "form volcanica" in Nordsieck & Talavera (1979). Currently, I am not sure whether it needs a subspecific or specific status. Anyway, if needed, it may be separated as "black form" or "volcanica" form, but without any valid status.
Purpura nux Reeve, 1846 listed in the synonymy of O. edwardsii in Sabelli et al (1990: 12) is not related to any European muricid species. Its affiliation to Muricidae is even doubtful.

Ocinebrina edwardsii: Western Mediterranean (Adriatic Sea and elsewhere) to Madeira and the British Isles.

Probably throughout the Mediterranean Sea , but I have not seen specimens from Algeria or Libya, on and under rocks, on mussel and oyster beds. Low tide level, usually to 10 m depth (living specimens up to 70 m depth). In the Atlantic it occurs up to the Bay of Biscay, and to the Canary Islands.