« Shell small to medium-sized, 3-30mm, usually 6-12mm, oval to low- or high-fusiform, usually with comparatively low spire, often with a shoulder angulation. Spiral and axial sculpture both well developed. Shell surface often bearing microsculpture of spirally aligned granules. Subsutural ramp usually not separated sculpturally. Anal sinus on subsutural ramp, shallow to rather deep, rarely tubular. Aperture normally not constrained with strong outgrowths or callus pads, rarely denticulate. Siphon rather short to moderately long. Protoconch typically multispiral, of up to five whorls, with axially ribbed protoconch II; spiral cords on protoconch II present or absent. When paucispiral, protoconch usually spirally lirate. Operculum present, with terminal nucleus (Oenopotinae), or normally absent. » – Bouchet & al.: “A new operational classification of the Conoidea (Gastropoda)”, Journal of Molluscan Studies vol.77(3), Oxford 2011, p.281.
 

Shell small, « with the protoconch nucleus smooth; if multispiral (i.e., whorls > 2), the protoconch whorls are smooth, except for the last where low, curved axial riblets are overrun by a few rows of obsolete spiral elements forming swollen tubercles at the intersection. Micropustules are sometimes present, especially in proximity to the protoconch-teleoconch junction. The teleoconch is generally fusiform with the spire whorls of slight to medium convexity, hence giving the spire a conical profile. Sutures are commonly bordered by a subsutural, slightly swollen collar. On the teleoconch, the axial sculpture is predominant and extending between the sutures, whereas the numerous spiral elements are subdued and commonly interrupted by dense growth lines. In addition, dense micropustules cover the remaining teleoconch surface. The aperture is lanceolate, elongated, with a thin outer lip smooth inside. The siphonal canal is short and the anal sinus is shallow and placed on the subsutural ramp. » – Daniele & al.: “Lectotype designation for Murex nebula Montagu 1803 (Mangeliidae) and its implications for Bela Leach in Gray 1847”, Zootaxa vol.3884(1), Auckland 2014, p.50.
 

The morphology is close to that of the genus Gymnobela Verrill, but the radula is related to that of Mangelia Risso: « In the shell of station 186 was contained the animal which had no operculum, and whose radula showed quite the features of Mangelia; for these and related species I have set up the group Benthomangelia, which perhaps has a certain relationship to Gymnobela. » – J. Thiele: “Gastropoden der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition. II Teil”, Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer “Valdivia” 1898-1899, Berlin 1925, p.225. The shell is small to medium-sized, biconical, with a marked subsutural ramp and, usually, a strong longitudinal sculpture that gives rise to nodules at the periphery.
 

Shell small, slender, often tapering. « Aperture elongate, sculpture of low axial ribs with wider interspaces, periphery angulate; spiral sculpture of dense lirae; lip varix not thicker than a regular axial rib, sinus a slight inflexion of the outer lip on the shoulder slope. » – A. M. Keen: Sea Shells of Tropical West America 2nd ed., Stanford 1971, p.747.
 

« Questo nuovo nome di Lyromangelia contiene una sola specie ben distinta per le sue fascie colorate a diversi sistemi e per la conchiglia perfettamente levigata e lucida. Labbro non rinforzato. » – T. A. di Monterosato: “Molluschi viventi e quaternari raccolti lungo le coste della Tripolitania dall’ing. Camillo Crema”, Bollettino della Società Zoologica Italiana Ser. 3 vol. 4, Roma 1917, p.23. The absence of micropspirals is not sufficient. The peculiar protoconch helps also to identify the genus, which is, at this time, considered as monotypic.
 

The genus could have been named after the naturalist Giuseppe Mangili (1767-1829), but neither Risso nor Leach explained the choice of such a name; this is the reason why Lovén’s emendation Mangilia (which, in that case, would be the correct spelling), is rejected and considered as a synonym (Sabelli & al., 1990). – Shell spindle-shaped, with convex whorls, marked suture and subsutural shelf; sculpture made up of axial folds crossed by subdued spirals; aperture elongate, narrow, subrectangular; anterior siphonal canal short; posterior siphonal notch sloping, giving the labrum a slightly undulating profile. Mosty of times, labial thickenings occur.
 

« Spiral sculpture markedly different from Mangelia: both on axial ribs and in interspaces, numerous, very thin furrows are present and delimit flat, narrow ribbon-like strips. […] The reason for separating this from other Mangelia species lies in the peculiar combination of shell spiral sculpture and of flat bands separated by very narrow furrows. » – Spada, Sabelli & Giannuzzi-Savelli: “Mangelia Risso, 1826 and allied genera in the Mediterranean with the description of a new genus and three new species (Gastropoda: Mangeliidae)”, Bollettino Malacologico vol.59(1), Milano 2023, p.38.
 

« To this section, which is particularly rich in the Chinese seas, I include thick-shelled, tower-shaped, 6-sided cross-sectional, monochromatic species with a few radial ridges, usually placed regularly one above the other, and an mouth that is only a third of the shell height or less. The suture is narrow and shallow; the right lip has a series of tooth folds on the inside, the top of which is usually developed as a particularly strong tooth; the rachis is unfolded. » – O. Boettger: “Die marinen Mollusken der Philippinen nach den Sammlungen des Herrn José Florencio Quadra in Manila. IV. Die Pleurotomiden. (Schluss.)”, Nachrichtsblatt der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft vol. 27(3-4), Frankfurt 1895, p.56. Regarding the labial teeth, Kilburn writes, more precisely: « outer lip usually with a blunt labral tooth just anterior to anal sinus and sometimes with additional denticles anteriorly » (R. N. Kilburn: “Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 7. Subfamily Mangeliinae, section 2”, Annals of the Natal Museum vol. 34(2) p.318. Kilburn notices also the occasionnal presence of denticles on the columella.
 

« SShell small, slender, turreted. Nucleus small-tipped, consisting of about three whorls, about the last two sculptured with strong, fine, curved, protractive axial riblets. Aperture long, relatively wide, anterior canal very short, barely emarginate. Outer lip varicose. Anal notch wide, deep, interior of outer lip bearing a denticle below notch. Parietal callus moderately thick adjoining notch. Sculpture consisting of narrow axial ribs overridden by frosted spiral threads of different orders of magnitude. This genus also has a denticle on the outer lip below the anal notch. » – W.&bsp;P. Woodring: “Miocene mollusks from Bowden, Jamaica. 2. Gastropods and discussion of results”, Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication vol.385, Washington, p.171.
 

Replacement name for Smithia Monterosato, 1884, described as follows: « With this subdivision we come closer to Mangelia both for the characteristics of the slightly thick lip and for the arrangement of the ribs, as well as for its sculpture composed of very thin and sharp striae. » – T. A. di Monterosato: Nomenclatura generica e specifica di alcune conchiglie mediterranee, Palermo 1884, p.128. At this time, the genus is monotypic.
 

« Shell very small for the genus,[…] biconical,turriculate elongate, solid. Protoconch multispiral, dome shaped, of […] convex whorls. Protoconch-I (embryonic shell) of 0.4 whorls, separated by a demarcation from protoconch-II (larval shell). […] Protoconch-teleoconch transition not well marked. […] Whorls rounded, sutural ramp convex, whorl sides gently convex. […] Axial sculpture of […] narrowly rounded axial ribs fading out at the base, regularly spaced […]. Spiral sculpture of […] granulose cords […] Smaller granulose cordlets in most interspaces. Entire surface covered by microgranules. Aperture narrow, ovate, about ⅖ of the shell height. Siphonal canal short, broad and open, very slightly deviating on the left. Inner lip with a weak parietal callus. Outer lip not varicose. Anal sinus marked, arcuate on shoulder slope. » – Mariottini & al.: “Additional notes on the systematics and new records of East Atlantic species of the genus Sorgenfreispira Moroni, 1979 (Gastropoda Mangeliidae)”, Biodiversity Journal vol.6(1), Palermo 2015, p.433.