Volutoconus snails live in coarse sand and rubble from the shallow subtidal zone to over 200 m depth.

The shells of Volutoconus species have a bluntly rounded protoconch with a small sharp projection called a calcarella.

They are solid, glossy, cylindrical-shaped shells with an elongate aperture that has four distinct columellar plicae.

Volutoconus coniformis, V. grossi and V. hargreavesi are reddish-brown in color, and V. bednalli is yellow with reticulate blue-black bands.

They are sometimes accidentally caught by fishermen as bycatch on prawn or scallop trawlers.