Because of its close relationship to Chicoreus, Phyllonotus, and Siratus, Naquetia has often been considered a subgenus of one or another of these groups. In having three varices per whorl and certain other features it most closely resembles the first of these genera; it differs from it, however, in the sparseness of its varical extensions. It resembles some Phyllonotus species in having a varical webbing or flange, composed of fused fronds, along the entire varix, but generally most prominent anteriorly. The shell is generally slender, but the proportion of spire to body whorl and canal varies from species to species.
The radula resembles that of Chicoreus in the general shape of the lateral and rachidian teeth. It may be distinguished by its generally smaller size, by the heaviness and broadness of the laterals, and by the proportionately smaller size of the intermediate cusps of the rachidian tooth. The genus appears to be restricted to the Indo-West Pacific.

Shell medium or large sized, up to 134 mm in length, spire high with 3 wing-like or rounded varices on last whorl; protoconch rounded or conical, with 1.5-3.5 whorls; spiral sculpture elaborate, consisting of primary and secondary cords, and usually additional tertiary cords. Aperture ovate or broadly-ovate; columellar lip smooth with fairly strong, elongate parietal tooth at adapical extremity; outer lip denticulate or smooth, with elongate, narrow, split ID, D1-D6 denticles within. Siphonal canal medium sized or long with 3 short or moderately long, broadly open, webbed spines. Radula similar to Chicomurex, with numerous crowded rows of teeth. Rachidian with a large, broad, triangular central cusp, a small, narrow, triangular lateral denticle, shorter than lateral cusps, and a large, triangular lateral cusp. Marginal area flat, without marginal denticles or marginal cusp. Lateral tooth narrow, sickle shaped.
As was noted in a previous publication (Houart & Heros, 2013), Naquetia and Chicomurex are two muricine genera with strongly similar shell morphology, with an average height of 40-90 mm in Naquetia and 30-70 mm in Chicomurex. The protoconch is paucispiral, consisting of 1.5-2 whorls, or conical of sinusigera type, with 3-3.5 glossy whorls, then usually with a narrow keel abapically. Hach teleoconch whorl bears three rounded, squamous varices from the second or third whorl, with short, broadly open spines connected by a squamous webbing. The radula is similar in both genera Chicomurex and Naquetia, consisting of usually crowded rows of teeth with a rachidian bearing a large, broad, triangular central cusp. The type species of Chicomurex, C. superbus, differs from the type species of Naquetia, N. triqueter, in having a broader and more globose shell, a comparatively lower spire and a proportionally larger and broader aperture. Within these two genera, all species exhibit this distinction more or less consistently.