« Shell slender, rather thin, semitransparent, not glossy. Sculpture: about 15 sharp and curved, but not much raised longitudinal ribs, each being crowned or surmounted just below the suture with a short spine; the interstices of the ribs are closely striated spirally, and decussated by more than twice as many microscopic longitudinal striae; the first 3 or 4 whorls are smooth and polished. Colour pale yellowish-brown, with three spiral bands of a much deeper hue on the last whorl and two on each of the succeeding whorls except those at the top; the bands on the last whorl are equidistant, one below the suture, the middle one round the periphery, and the third (which is the broadest) encircling the base. Spire gradually tapering; apex finely pointed. Whorls 12-14, moderately convex. Suture deep. Mouth roundish-oval, angular at the inner base. Outer lip strengthened by the last rib, and slightly expanded. Inner lip reflected on the pillar, and continuous with the outer lip. » – J. G. Jeffreys: “On the Mollusca procured during the ‘Lightning’ and ‘Porcupine’ expeditions 1868-70 (Part VII)”, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for the year 1884, p.133.

This species « can be recognized by its rather solid shell, pinkish in colour, with thick axial lamellae, some of which form varices. The lamellae have a weak but distinct spiny projection. A strong microsculpture, more or less reticulated, is present between the ribs. The protoconch has 4 whorls, with no subsutural spiral thread […] It is not similar to other deep water Epitoniidae treated here, and resembles most the upper shelf species E. cantrainei (Weinkauff) (fig. 1208) and E. turtonis (Turton) from which it differs by the microsculpture (fig. 1194) and/or spiny lamellae. » – Bouchet & Warén: “Revision of the northeast Atlantic bathyal and abyssal Aclididae, Eulimidae, Epitoniidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda)”, Bollettino malacologico suppl.2, Milano 1986, p.510 & figs. 1193-1194.