Similar to C. maculosa but slightly taller. The surface is almost completely smooth. The background of the shell is grey or yellow and is overlaid with thin dark brown spiral lines, there are also irregular brown streaks. The collumella (spiral support) is orange-red and the aperture is dark violet-brown. The operculum (door) is horny and black. There are some differences in shell shape (morphology) depending upon where the animals are living. These differences are strong enough that it is thought that there may be 3 different sub-species; Cominella virgata virgata; C. v. brooksei and C. v. douglasi.

Lives from mid-to low intertidal beneath rocks and stones and is often associated with Neptunes Necklace and Coralline algae. It can be found in sheltered to exposed locatlities.

A predator of bivalves.

NZ Coastal Marine Invertebrates; Vol 1