Large-sized shells, up to 85 mm., fusiform, with a tall, often turreted spire and a long straight or slightly flexed anterior canal. In shape these shells resemble Lophiotoma, Gemmula or Turris, except for the sinus. which is on the shoulder slope, not the peripheral carina or a minor rib immediately above it, as in Turris. The sinus in Turricula is moderately deep, widely open, U-shaped, with its lower edge confluent with an arcuate forward sweep of the lower outer lip. Protoconch small, erect, broadly conical of 2 - 21 smooth whorls. Adult sculpture varying from almost smooth to strong spirals, which are often rendered gemmate to nodulose by axials, the strongest developmentbeing peripheral. The operculum is ovate,pointed top and bottom, and has a mediolateral nucleus.
The operculum, with its medio-lateral nucleus suggests Clavatula, but in that genus the suture rides high on the preceeding whorl, and is submargined by a very heavy, often nodulous, fold. A very similar genus to Turricula on shell characters is Comitas, but it has a leafshaped operculum, with a terminal nucleus.
Radula of wishbone-type, with or without a vestigial to fully formedunicuspid central, having winged extremities. Typically there is a pair of marginals only, which are elliptical, sharply pointed above, and thickened down each side, so that the whole is wishbone-shaped, but with the extremities connected by an insertion plate. In T. catena and T. fulminata the marginals have the distal basal limb severed, and the central is vestigial. In T. javana the marginals have the severed distal limb also, but there is a well formed unicuspid central with wide but narrow up-curved winglike extensions. In T. spurius the distal limb of the marginal is apparently only partially severed, and the central is narrow with upcurved edges, giving a tricuspid appearance.

Range — Recent, Persian Gulf and Mauritius, tropical Indian Ocean generally to Japan and Western Australia to Queensland. Also recorded from tropical west America and the South Atlantic, but some, if not all of these, possibly belong to other genera. Pliocene, of Java, Miocene of India, Burma and Java and Eocene of India. Also recorded extensively from the Paleocene to the Miocene of Europe and the lower Tertiary of the United States, but again other genera may be concerned.