When young, it is marked with convex, longitudinal folds, which are intersected at the base of the body whorl only, by five or six pretty deep transverse striae.

The edge of the aperture is whitish, ovate, notched at both ends, the cavity of an ash color.

The outer lip is thick, margined exteriorly, crenulated indistinctly upon the lower edge, and marked within with very distinct, transverse striae.

The left lip is continued in front, in a thin leaf which extends a little over the columella.

[2] This species occurs in the Central and East Indian Ocean off Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Mauritius and Tanzania; off East India, Andaman Islands, Indo-Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland) Media related to Nassarius olivaceus at Wikimedia Commons