Close to pagodula and spinosa, but there is no published figure of this species. J. J.  van Aarsten, who studied a specimen from the British Museum labelled “Rissoa tessellata (Schw.) = Philippiana Jeffr. = pagodula BDD. Algier, M. Joly.”, describes the shell as being much larger than usual spinosa and having a more pronounced sculpture (Basteria 40, 1976).

« Testa solida flavido-alba, languida, conico-oblonga; spira gracilis acuminata; anfractus septum valde convexi, carinati sutura profunde divisi, tres primi embryonales unicarinati, ultimus cingulis elevalis tribus (penultimus duobus) costique longitudinalibus 11-12 rectis, abbreviatis distincte clathratus, in basi cingulis duobus laevibus instructus; apertura rotundata; labrum subsinuatum, extus varice laevi incrassato ornatum, intus laevigatum. » – Schwarz in H. C. Weinkauff: Die Conchylien des Mittelmeeres, ihre geographische und geologisches Verbreitung Bd.2, Cassel 1868, p.311.

The sculpture and the microsculpture are coarse, on the protoconch as well as on the teleoconch.