A large snail with a solid shell, it has distinctive sculpture consisting of unequal pale fawn spiral cords separated by darker fawn grooves. The outer lip of the shell is thickened and there may be a row of knobs running around the body whorl up to the spire. Shell is covered with a thick hairy coating, which can be quite velvety and is golden brown. The height of the spire varies with habitat. Specimens from sheltered areas have taller, more slender spires than those from exposed areas.

This uncommon shell, it is more common in the north. It is found on rocks from open to sheltered localities on rocky reefs from low intertidal to 180 m.

Predator.

NZ Coastal Marine Invertebrates; Vol 1