This is one of the smaller Zafra species, with only 2 to 3 teleoconch whorls and an; adult shell length of 2 to 3 mm. The protoconch in contrast appears quite large, having; 3.75 to 4.25 whorls and a moderately developed midline spiral thread; it comprises about one-fifth of the shell length. Shell colour is variable and has two main patterns (Sleurs (1987) differentiates three): an unpigmented or white shell, with 2 or 3 spiral interrupted brown bands or oblique dashes and a white protoconch, or brown with white: spots in a mesh-like pattern, and often a white spiral band just above the suture; and a brown protoconch. The labial edge has one or two large denticles close to the posterior end, setting off the posterior canal. Drivas & Jay (1990) synonymized this with Zafra cinnamomea (Hervier 1899), apparently based on the fact that as an original variety of Columbella peasei Hervier, 1899, the name cinnamomea Hervier, 1899 has seniority over the name C. hervieri Pace, 1902c. But according to Monsecour (pers. comm.) the identity of Z. cinnamomea appears to be unstable as the type has not been found.
This was the most common species of Zafra collected by the expedition, with over 100 specimens from seven stations. Almost all were in the dry lots, and were collected between 1 and 20 m depth, typically by sieving.

Shell minute, elongate-ovate. Protoconch: conic, of about 3 strongly convex whorls; suture moderately impressed; penultimate and last whorl with a microscopic median spiral thread; protoconch clearly demarcated from teleoconch by a sinus. Teleoconch: of about 3 plano-convex to strongly convex whorls; whorls sculptured with prominent, rounded axial ribs, the interspaces smooth, about as broad as die ribs or slightly broader, number of axial ribs rather variable; axial ribs on body whorl vanishing below the adapertural spiral grooves of die shell base; one weak subsutural groove intersecting the adapical part of the axial ribs, forming a subsutural row of low nodules; spiral grooves on the last whorl usually numbering 12; suture well marked, moderately to strongly impressed. Aperture: narrow, peristome continuous; outer lip weakly thickened ex¬ternally; inside with one strong thickening just below the subsutural sinus; thickening sometimes divided into 2 small denticles; columella with some weak plications, the latter corresponding with the spiral cords on the shell base; columcliar callus thin; subsutural sinus moderately deep; anterior canal short. Colour variable; shell usually white, with a suprasutural, amber coloured, spiral band on the spire and with a median and basal, amber coloured band, on the last whorl; spiral bands on spire and on last whorl, bordered by two parallel rows of dark brown, spirally arranged, interrupted lines; protoconch white (moiph a). Shell sometimes chestnut brown with white, hexagonal or quadrangular spots, forming a tessclated pattern; protoconch chestnut brown (morph b). Some specimens yellowish, with a double row of prosocline and opisthoclinc, spirally arranged, brown lines; protoconch pale brown (morph c). Radula: each radular row consisting of a subquadrangular median tooth, flanked at each side by one tricuspid lateral tooth; two uppermost cusps of the latter sharp, the lowest triangular, blunt.

This species was erroneously identified by Hervier (1900) as Columbella peasi Martens & Langkavel, 1871; therefore Pace (1902) proposed a new name, Columbella hervieri.
Zafra hervieri (Pace) is a polymorphic species with respect to both the shell form and the colour pattern. Hervier (1900) described the following varieties, all from Lifu, to separate the different morphs: Columbella peasei var. lemniscata, which is the predominant morph with the amber coloured spiral band, C. peasei var. cinnamomeat which is the tesselated morph and C. peasei var. infulata which has a yellowish shell. The extreme morphs of the three nominate varieties are immediately recognizable by their strongly different colour pattern, however a few specimens exhibit intermediate characters between the different morphs. Some specimens from New Caledonia have shells in which the early whorls have the typical colour pattern of another morph. The syntypes of Columbella hervieri represent the nominate variety C. peasei var. infulata.
Z. hervieri is similar to Z. debilis Hedley 1915, from Hope Island, in having a strong thickening just below the sinus, but differs in being less elongate fusiform and in having a different colour pattern, which is yellowish brown with a submedian white band on the early whorls and a median white band on the last whorl, in Z debilis.
Z. rufopiperata E.A.Smith, 1884, from me Amirantes, is very similar to Z. hervieri, but differs in being uniformly yellowish coloured; apart from colour, there do not appear to be any significant differences between the two nominal species, but because we have only seen one syntype of C. rufopiperata, we consider them distinct species up to present time.
Z hervieri superficially resembles Z troglodytes (Souverbie), from Lifu, in shape and colour pattern, but differs primarily in lacking the denticles on the anterior part of the inside of the outer lip and in lacking the strong median angulation on the two last whorls of the protoconch; the whorls of the teleoconch are moderately shouldered in Z troglodytes.