Shell small to medium-sized, adults reaching a height of about 45 mm; slightly to distinctly taller than wide (h/w= 1,1 - 1,4).
Apex yellow. Teleoconch of about 4 whorls, rounded or angulated. Sculpture consisting of spiral cords which are rather weak between suture and periphery and strong on the base; cords crossed by densely-set lamellae. Some speci¬mens show a spiral row of scaly protrusions on the shoulder and one or two rows of smaller scales at the periphery, some specimens only have shoulder spines or peripheral spines, some have rounded whorls without any protrusions. Suture deeply incised in most shells. Columella smooth and evenly curved; aperture round. Umbilicus closed.
Basic colour white in most specimens, sometimes light green or light brown, with a flame pattern of dark brown to almost black, turning into blotches on the base. Rarely uniformly white or greenish shells are found. Columella and aperture nacreous white.
Operculum very thick and round completely covered with pustules or centrally smooth; white to bluish-grey or greenish with a yellowish to brown outer edge, usually with a light brown to ocre blotch in the central area.

Small and high-spired specimens of Turbo (Marmarostoma) argyrostoma may look like Turbo (Marmarostoma) tuberculosus sometimes but usually have a distinctly open umbilicus and a different operculum.
A very variable species concerning shape, formation of spines and coloration. The most slender specimens with rather dark axial flames come from the Solomons. This species is widely known as Turbo necnivosus Iredale, 1929 which is a synonym.

Tropical Wester Pacific; Papua New Guinea to Western and northern Australia and to New Caledonia and Tonga.