Shell small for genus, thin and delicate, extremely elongated, with high, protracted spire and very long, narrow siphonal canal; shoulder distinctly sloping; shoulder sharply angled, subcarinate, ornamented with 12-13 elongated knobs; body whorl and spire whorls ornamented with 12-13 low, narrow, evenly-spaced longitudinal ribs; ribs end abruptly at body whorl-siphonal canal juncture, producing sharply-angled anterior edge of body whorl; body whorl encircled with 9 large raised spiral cords; juncture of spiral cords and longitudinal ribs producing a small raised bead; siphonal canal smooth, ornamented with very small and thin spiral threads; spire whorls ornamented with 8 spiral cords; shell color pale cream-white, overlaid with scattered faint brown patches and flammules; areas between shoulder knobs and between small knobs of anterior body whorl angle marked with large dark brown dots or small dark brown patches; anterior tip of siphonal canal colored light brown; protoconch proportionally large, composed of 2 whorls, white in color; aperture proportionally small, circular, pure white in color, with inside of lip ornamented with 16 elongated, narrow ribs. HOLOTYPE - length 72 mm, width 23 mm, trawled from 145 m depth, due south of Eucla, Western Australia.

Of the known southern Australian Fusinus species, F. bishopi most closely resembles F. wellsi Snyder, 2004 from Western Australia, but differs in the following ways: (1) in having less tabulate and much more sloping shoulders, with a much greater shoulder angle; (2) in having a proportionally much higher and more protracted spire; (3) in having more numerous longitudinal ribs on the body whorl (13-14 on F. bishopi and 10-11 on F. wellsi); (4) and in having more numerous shoulder knobs (14 per whorl on F. bishopi and 10 per whorl on F. wellsi). The two shells are very similar and definitely represent a sibling species pair, with F. wellsi being found in deep water areas along Western Australia and with the more elongated and delicate F. bishopi being restricted to deep water areas within the Great Australian Bight. Both species share the same color pattern and ornamentation as F. tessellatus (Sowerby III, 1880) from shallow water areas along the southwestern area of Western Australia, but differ in being more delicate and elongated and in having much longer and better-developed siphonal canals. All three species constitute a closely-knit species complex that is restricted to Western Australia and the Great Australian Bight.

Trawled by commercial fishermen from 145 m depth, due south of Eucla, Great Australian Bight, Western Australia, Australia. At present, only known from the type locality, 145 m depth off Eucla, Western Australia. The type lot was trawled on a sand and shell rubble sea floor in 145 m depth.