« Shell resembling in shape a miniature Scaphander lignarius, but more cylindrical; it is of a delicate texture, semitransparent, and of a glistening and iridescent lustre. Sculpture: numerous and close-set spiral and parallel rows of minute oval dots which are interwoven and arranged like the links of a chain; some of these rows being intermediate, and apparently squeezed or compressed at the sides, become merely fine lines; the front edge or base of the mouth and top of the outer lip are exquisitly fringed with sharpish points, like short teeth of a comb.  » – J. G. Jeffreys: British conchology vol. IV, London 1857, p.447.

Jeffreys: « Colour: clear white when the shell is extracted from the animal, afterwards becoming milk-white. Spire slightly prominent. Whorls 3; the body-whorl (as usual in this genus) is disproportionately large and voluminous; the other two are small, with an indistinct and thickened nucleus. Suture deep and channelled. Mouth acute-angled above, and greatly expanded below, with a squarish base. Outer lip gently curved, folding inwards on the upper part; the top of this lip is below the spire; inner corner cloven or excavated, so as to cause a disjunction of the suture in front and a partial separation of the body-whorl from the next. Inner lip forming a rather thick and broad glaze. »

«  tefta cylindracea, pellucida, flavescens, oculo nudo glabra, tactu tamen et armato striis moniliformibus extus scabra, intus vero glabra et polita. Vertex retuse truncatus; striae tres vel quatuor vertici concentricae, reliquae sensim obiiquiores a lineis arcuatis rarioribus in angulos obbliquos secantur; interstitia striarum in margine extimo seu vertici opposito in dentes producta, margines vero labii et columellae integerrimi sunt. Scabrities striarum seu puncta periacea in columella obliterata, vel si mauis, striae moniiiformes in lineas crenulatas derasae sunt. Apertura repanda a medio testae aequalis latitudinis est. » – O. F. Müller: Zoologia Danica vol. II, Leipzig 1784, p.90.