Diagnosis: Adult colour pattern consisting of uniform orange/red-brown cords alternating with articulated black and white cords; shell relatively small and elevated, profile trochoid-turbiniform, sutures weakly indented and not channelled; periphery more or less evenly rounded; spiral cords sculptured with well-defined granules; apertural dentition well developed, basal columella tooth compound, anal tooth present; columella disjunction deep-set; umbilicus narrow, apically filled with callus.
Description: Shell trochoid-turbiniform, relatively elevated (L/D = 0,88-1,15); teleoconch of up to 7,5 whorls, whorls somewhat adpressed, sutures weakly indented, not channelled; spire whorls more or less evenly conoid, becoming cyrtoconoid on penultimate and body whorls; last part of body whorl in mature shells descends near aperture, the outer lip joining the penultimate whorl below periphery; base somewhat flattened, umbilicate. First teleoconch whorl with three spiral cords, one at shoulder, one at periphery and one between these; peripheral cord usually partly concealed by next whorl; all three cords become patterned with deep pink to crimson spots (dashes) during second whorl; these become black-articulated cords of later whorls; intermediary spiral cords arise during third whorl, usually one between each primary cord, these become the uniformly coloured cords of subsequent whorls; body whorl usually with 6 spiral cords (occasionally more) between suture and periphery (inclusive), three articulated, three uniformly coloured; subsutural cord sometimes slightly larger than others, but rarely markedly so. All spiral cords granular from an early stage; granules coarse and well-defined, subcircular to roundly quadrate. Intervals between cords well defined, narrower than width of cords themselves, sculptured by close-set, prosocline, axial pliculae and sometimes fine spiral lirae . Base sculptured with ±9, more close-set cords, 3-4 of which are articulated; granules on cords more quadrate, smaller and less elevated; intervals between cords narrow, sometimes retaining traces of axial pliculation. Umbilicus open, but relatively narrow, surrounded by inductural callus and apically filled-in with callus; mature apertural dentition well developed; umbilicus bordered by 4-6 ridge-like denticles; parietal tooth present and parietal ridges well developed; interior of outer lip with spirally aligned, ridge-like denticles, the uppermost of which is considerably larger and forms a well-developed, peg-like, anal tooth; edge of outer lip with elongate black denticles marking ends of external spiral cords, denticles usually disjunct from internal ridges; basal columella tooth prominent, sculptured by 2-3 ridges; columella recurved but not strongly so; columella lip usually with slight swelling or denticle above basal columella tooth; abapical upper columella denticle a rounded bulge, adapical one scarcely distinct from columella, intervening notch weak; peristome incomplete, disjunction between columella and paries very deep-set; interior nacreous when fresh, but losing iridescence with time. Protoconch: Diameter 220-240 µm, ±1,25 whorls; translucent white; superficially smooth, apex slightly beaked, terminal lip sinuous. Colour: Early whorls translucent, suffused with pink and with deep pink-crimson spots on all three spiral cords (peripheral cord sometimes not visible)(middle cord lacking spots in airicatena and puniceus); adult colour pattern develops during fourth whorl and comprises alternating articulated cords and uniform orange/red-brown cords; articulated cords comprising alternating black and white granules (occasionally paired - two black and two white); frequently two uniformly coloured cords immediately below peripheral articulated cord. Specimens with aberrant colour patterns are occasionally found, but such individuals usually have a marked growth flaw at some point on the shell, prior to which the coloration is normal. Inductural callus white, somewhat translucent: interior white; outer lip with black spots. Dimensions: Largest NMSA specimen, length 13,4 mm, diameter 13,6 mm; smallest specimen with mature apertural dentition, length 8,1 mm, diameter 8,9 mm. Operculum: Corneous; multispiral with a central nucleus; yellowish-gold; outer face smooth and glossy. Radula: Very similar to that of C. puniceus; rachidian cusp narrower and more deeply indented in the mid-line.

South Africa. East Africa and western Indian Ocean islands (Aldabra, Chagos, Coetivy, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles);