The colour of the shell is very variable: entire maroon or entire slate or either with broad radiating stripes of buff, or the spiials[check spelling] articulated with buff on a maroon or slate ground, or combinations of these.

Sculpture: the shell contains elevated spiral ridges, four or five on the upper whorls, about sixteen on the last, andsmaller and closer on the base.

Both ridges and interstices are obliquely crossed by fine growth striae.

The aperture is subquadrate, brilliantly nacreous with a narrow border.

The base of the columella is externally expanded, internally bearing three small tubercles.