Shell reaching 1.4 x 1.4 mm, of 3 whorls, with moderately high spire and large body whorl. Protoconch ca. 1 whorl, with irregular raised anastomosing lines. Surface of teleoconch whorls with spiral microsculpture showing faintly under the stereomicroscope, best seen under SEM. First teleoconch whorl (except subsutural area) with 6-7 spiral cords, narrower than interspaces, gradually replaced on later whorls by spiral rows of tiny punctures. Body whorl with rows of punctures gradually replaced by faint spiral striae around the umbilical area. Umbilical chink very narrow, bordered by a sharp keel. Aperture rounded. Outer lip and growth lines showing three shallow sinuosities, one next to the suture, one equatorially and one anteriorly. Shell colour: protoconch opaque white. Colour pattern of teleoconch whorls with pink or pale orange pink pattern, on a translucent background, and opaque white areas. Pink pattern of dots arranged along two intersecting orientations. Irregular white areas extending over large surfaces on some specimens. Radula: central broadly ovate-trapezoidal, membranous. Five pairs of laterals, the innermost with their cutting edge overhanging the central, the outermost decreasing in size. Cutting edge of laterals with strong cusps decreasing in size to either side. Marginals numerous, the innermost pair slightly smaller than the next one. the other regularly decreasing in size towards the margin. First 5 marginals interlocking, with a broad, rectangular terminal cusp and a fairly large cusp to the outer side; the innermost marginal with also one small cusp to the inner side. Sixth and following marginals with comb-like termination and not interlocking.

Even if having sizes a little bit smaller than T. tingitana ones, morphologically this species is similar to it, sharing also umbilicus form. Shell higher than wider, whorls convex but a little bit compressed laterally, slight shoulder on suture. Umbilicus narrow and deep, with a slight carina. Aperture round in form, external lip showing three slight sinuousities. Surface crossed by very fine spiral striae visible under strong amplification only: these ones are broader on first whorl of teleconch.
Protoconch, about one whorl of spiral, is dull white in colour. Teleconch has a ground dirty white in colour and, near suture only, it has either some little spots or flammulae reddish in colour. The rest of surface is crossed by small pits placed axially in a very irregular manner, red-orange in colour. This chromatic pattern seems to be the only real difference with T. tingitana. Operculum calcareous. Average measures of adult specimens are around 1.4 mm in height.

This species resembles Tricolia deschampsi and T. entomocheila in the microsculpture of spiral cords on early teleoconch whorls and then rows of small pits on the later whorls. The spire angle is similar to that of T. entomocheila , but the profile of adult shells is somewhat compressed laterally, not well rounded; T. punctura always lacks the characteristic labial notch of T. entomocheila. Its colour pattern of small dots is not seen in any of the populations in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar.

This species has been found only in Corsica and Sicily, with little phenotypic difference be¬tween populations from both areas. No representative of this species nor of the three species from the Strait of Gibraltar could be found in Eastern Spain, despite large scale collecting in the area of Almeria (personal communication by R. Hergueta, Malaga) with representative samples in adequate depth range and size fractions.

Habitat: it lives among algae (Cystoseira) in the infralittoral zone.
Distribution: typical locality is Calvi (Corsica - France) but this species is collected in several localities in the Straits of Messina area and in the Egadi Is. (Sicily - Italy). The author does not point out this species in the Straits of Gibraltar.