A very attractive snail. It has a thin shell which is quite globular and has a D shaped aperture (opening). It is fawn yellow and is decorated with 5 spiral rows of small dark arrow like markings. In the south of the South Island and Stewart Island there can be shells with no patterns. The operculum (door) is shelly and cream and D shaped.

It is found on clean sandflats in open locations. It is found from the shallow subtidal to at least 600m.

It is a predator on bivalves especially Tawera spissa (the Morning Star clam). It can bore through the shell with its drill like tougue (radula).

They lay their eggs in a sandy, gel-like collar.

NZ Coastal Marine Invert. Vol 1.