Shell ovate conical, thin, translucent and shining. Apex broken but apparently acicular. Remaining whorls nine, of which the latter are markedly tumid and narrow, giving the shell a squeezed or telescoped aspect. The upper whorls are smooth and polished, the lower gradually acquire an oblique, longitudinal sculpture which becomes coarser as the shell proceeds and finally on the last half whorl rise into sharp varices; on the latter three whorls several weak spiral threads reticulate the transverse growth lines and create angles below the suture and the periphery. Aperture very oblique, lip sharp, sinuous, reflected, effuse anteriorly, columella broad, arched, and reflected over a minute perforation. Length 11, breadth 6,5 mm.
This species in size and general shape approaches S. eburneus, Deshayes. But in the produced and effuse aperture it recedes from that towards S. crotaphis, Watson. A single specimen was procured at Funafuti.

Distribution: Texas; Caribbean. Size: 22 mm
Description: Color translucent white; shape conic; sculpture glassy and smooth except for microscopic, wavy axial growth lines, which are most noticeable on last whorls; microscopic spiral threads on inflated body whorl; nuclear whorls flat sided, angled away from axis of teleoconch; postnuclear whorls noticeably wider than spire; whorls convex; aperture obliquely subquadrate to ovate, somewhat flared anteriorly.
Habitat: On calcareous habitats of offshore reefs, usually at depths from just below the surface to 91 m (300 ft).
Remarks: Found on rocky outcrops and coral reefs. See Ode (1973c); Redfern (2001). Synonym: Stilifer subulatum Broderip, 1832.