Tall, loosely coiled, turreted shell, up to 130mm high. Apex blunt, next few whorls tend to be columnar, last adult whorls rounded, 7-8 in all. Shell lightweight. Sculpture of numerous shallow cords with growth lines. Shell whitish, with a yellowish green periostracum which may be rubbed off. Mouth D shaped, the siphonal canal barely present. The adult outer lip may be slightly flared, the inner lip is covered by a thin callus. Narrow and broad forms exist.
Key identification features
- Columnar apical whorls
- Corded sculpture
- Yellowish green periostracum
Similar species
- Buccinum undatum Sinuous vertical costae, a strong, short siphonal canal
- Neptunea antiqua Sculpture usually fine spiral lines and ridges, heavier shell
- Volutopsius norwegicus Very little sculpture, thin periostracum, porcellaneous shell
Ecology and behaviour
Lives on muddy bottoms.
Distribution and status
The map provided here shows the distribution of the species based on Conchological Society data.