[2] These moderately large shells are fusiforms or club-shaped, with height and acute spire and prominent spiral ridges.
Shell surface is normally light brown or blue-gray with some yellowish-brown on spines.
The aperture is lenticular, with a white interior margin and deep red-brown within.
Three to four short spines are restricted to the basal half of siphonal canal.
[4][5][6] The rare-spined murex is an active predator, mainly feeding on other molluscs and barnacles.