Differential characters of Anticlimax mostly according to the original description:
1. Shell wider than high;
2. With a dome-shaped or low-conic spire;
3. Carinate periphery;
4. Sculpture of close, usually punctate spiral striation (changed to oval depressions or zigzag cords and cordlets) and radial wavelike ribs on the base, sometimes appearing also on the upper surface;
5. Aperture oblique, quadrangular or triangular;
6. Outer lip angular or often expanded at the termination of the keels;
7. Umbilicus bordered by a spirally emerging callous rib; terminating at the columella or filling the umbilicus.
8. The protoconch smooth or sculptured by tubercles, between 1 and 2,5 whorls. ;
9. Teleoconch with spiral zigzag grooves and cordlets. The microsculpture of the species of the genus Anticlimax is not capricious. There is an ontogenetic model which is repeated from one species to another. Even in a single shell it is possible to recognize several stages of this process.
10. In some species, there may be areas on the adapical part on which the sculpture has almost disappeared.
11. The operculum is rounded and multispiral with a central nucleus
12. The radula is taenioglossate.

Microsculpture:
• The simplest pattern which frequently appears in the species of this genus at the beginning of the teleoconch is: on a smooth surface some small rounded depressions aligned spirally, appear.
• In the following state, these small depressions increase in size, being rounded or oval in form.
• Next is represented this state in which there is an increase of the depressed areas so that some of them touch each other.
• Than the contact of the depressed areas is constant and the areas between depres¬sions rise into cords with prolongations.
• These prolongations may be vertical or a little oblique. In this case, there are spiral cords with zigzag borders.
• Sometimes these cords are wide, on other occasions, they may change to a narrow fillet.
• Sometimes the spiral cord is enlarged and, in the enlarged areas, rounded nodules are formed. This usually happens in the spiral cords closer to the suture.
• In other patterns, the spiral cords present fine prolongations which come into contact with other similar rectangular spaces. This pattern is frequent in the last part of the last whorl. On this pattern of rectangular depressed areas, some fine and irregular spiral lines appear. The spiral cords are wider and have a variable border.
• Sometimes, the prolongations in the spiral cords are fine and much more numerous.
• On other occasions they have scarce undulating prolongations.
• Finally, on some occasions they are very irregular and variable showing microsculpture be¬tween the cords