Holotype: Shell of medium size for the genus, white, with a faint pink tinge; length of aperture about 1/3 the length of the shell. Protoconch of 2 whorls with a low carination from the start; postnuclear whorls 8. Axial ribs 9 on early whorls, increasing to 13 on penultimate whorl, extending across the swelling in the immediate subsutural area and the shallow channel below it, and extending across the base and pillar. Spiral sculpture evenly spaced, deeply incised, missing across the subsutural channel, but increasing in strength across the base and pillar; lip preceded by a massive axial swelling 1/3 turn back. Sinus deep, U-shaped, bounded by curved parietal callus on the inside; lip not greatly thickened, crenulated by the incised spiral sculpture, stromboid notch shallow; anterior canal short, deeply notched; columellar callus raised. Height, 14.6, diameter, 5.3 mm.

Calliclava subtilis is smaller than C. craneana (Hertlein & Strong, 1951) and has more deeply incised spiral sculpture. Only C. alcmene (Dall, 1919) has sculpture as deeply incised, but that species is larger and has more numerous axial ribs. Maximum length at maturity is 16 mm; minimum length, 10 mm. The name is a Latin adjective meaning line or precise, with reference to the regular order of the sculpture.

Pacific Coast of Central America. Type Locality: Off Jicarita Island, Panama.