Shell small, conical, relatively thin-walled, with stepped spire. Color translucent to nacreous glossy white. Protoconch (-1 whorl) prominent, bulbous, microporous; transition to teleoconch sometimes visible as an orthocline line, but not always well-marked. Teleoconch sculpture (except whorl base) consisting of strong spiral cords, with well-marked axial threads and very fine spiral threads between cord and suture; spire whorls bearing two visible spiral cords: a weaker subsutural one, and a stronger supramedian that produces a distinct keel; a third strong cord (though weaker than the supramedian) can be observed emerging below the abapical suture. Distance between axial riblets roughly equal to three times rib width; axial threads prosocline above median keel and opisthocline below it, creating a continuous sigmoid pattern. Whorl base sculptured by 8-10 spiral cords; axial threads between cords, becoming fainter toward umbilicus. Whorls slightly concave between spiral cords, but with overall rounded profile. Suture obscured by subsutural spiral cord. Aperture rounded quadrangular, with well-marked callus, strong columellar tooth, and three labral sinuses: a deep subsutural sinus; a shallow sinus in peripheral part of basal region of aperture; and a very shallow sinus in palatal region of aperture, corresponding to the umbilical carina. Umbilicus narrow, deep, with well-marked (stronger than adjacent spiral cords) but smooth edge. Measurements (in mm): 5,75-6,75 whorls, H = 2.7 ±0.27; D = 2.50 ±0.18; h= 1.37 ± 0.18; d = 1.02 ±0.14.

Specimens of S. elegans can be easily distinguished by their overall roundish profile and numerous and closely-packed spiral cords on the basal portion of the whorls. The species has an amphi-Atlantic distribution, but this is the first record from southern Brazilian waters.

North Atlantic: Bay of Biscay, off Portugal (Jeffreys 1885); off Bermuda (Clarke 1959); off Yucatan, Mexico (Quinn 1983b). South Atlantic: Cape Basin and Argentine Basin (Clarke 1961). New occurrence: Southeastern Brazil, Espirito Santo, from 1540 to 3450 m depths.