The color of the shell varies from orange-brown to chocolate, covered by minute white spots, and overlaid by larger white triangular spots, sometimes forming bands at the shoulder, middle and base.

The nominal species is found along the shores of the tropical Eastern Africa.

They often have a background with bluish or greyish hues and an orange to red brown pattern.

The holotype of D. pennaceus is a stocky shell with an extremely wide shoulder that is rarely found in its range.

The form elisae (Kiener, 1846) has an axially crowded pattern of tents that gives to the shells a darker aspect.