Shell rounded depressed, rather fragile, white, with several spiral cords with tubular nodules. Protoconch hyperstrophic of nearly 1,75 smooth whorls, of about 394 µm diameter. Teleoconch of about 1,25 whorls, rapidly increasing; dorsally, two spiral cords appear at the beginning of the teleoconch, the lower one above the suture; one more appears below the suture from the end of the spire forming the peripheral angulation. Those cords have spaced nodules, the dorsal ones are higher and nearly cylindrical. The outermost cord has prominent strong scales, about 12 on the last whorl. Ventrally, there is another small cord between the periphery and the wide umbilicus. Under high magnification, it can be seen that the shell surface is covered with small prosocline growth lines and microtubercles on the entire shell. Aperture ovoid, the upper part of the outer lip sharp and extended dorsally. Dimensions: Holotype is 1.9 mm maximum dimension (diameter).

This species has some similarity with T leloupi, because the peripheral nodules of both species are scale-like but they are more numerous in T leloupi. Dorsally, the ribs in T leloupi are numerous while in T ryalli they are not evident; the spiral cords have squamous nodules in T leloupi and are nearly tubular in T ryalli.
- T cancellatus is more solid, usually less depressed and its axial ribs are numerous and evident.
- T attenuatus is dorsally more uniformly convex, and its peripheral cord has a different sculpture.
- T rachelae is more convex dorsally and has evident and numerous axial ribs, the spiral cords have more tubular nodules, and the peripheral cord has more numerous scales.

Distribution: Known from Ghana and Angola. Type locality: Miamia, Ghana, 38-40 m.