Shell small (largest seen 16.5 mm high, rarely over 14 mm high. i.e. less than half height of D. lewisi). short and wide in most specimens but highly variable in shape, some specimens relatively narrow. Protoconch small, low, of 0.75 whorls, with bulbous, inclined initiation of large diameter, followed by slightly irregular, markedly narrower quarter-whorl, flaring slightly at end to pass abruptly into teleoconch; initial half-whorl apparently smooth and polished on most specimens, bearing faint, irregular, spiral and axial threads in a few unabraded specimens, last quarter-whorl gradually developing weakly rugose, low, closely spaced axial costae; 5-6 well developed costae present on last 0.1 whorl of most specimens. Teleoconch of 4-4.5 regularly convex whorls, almost completely regularly coiled, without defined sutural ramp or shoulder angle; last whorl very gradually contracted to a short, straight, widely open, weakly defined anterior siphonal canal, with unnotched tip and no fasciole. External sculpture of regular, reticulate, low axial costae and spiral cords; three cords and, in places, adapical edge of fourth visible on spire whorls and 10 evenly spaced over last whorl, base and anterior canal, with single large median secondary cord and several narrow, widely spaced tertian threads in each spiral interspace; crossed by many low. rounded, widely spaced axial cords. 12 in both last and penultimate intervariceal intervals on holotype, forming low nodules at intersections with spiral cords; all crossed by many low. narrow, widely spaced axial costellae. equal in size and spacing to tertiary spiral threads. Varices prominent, high and wide with strongly convex surface, the first after one teleoconch whorl, thereafter slightly irregular in position but situated at about each two-thirds of a whorl (5 in 4.3 whorls on holotype). Outer lip polished, reflected over half to two-thirds of width of terminal varix for adapical two-thirds of lip height, and over up to whole width of varix over abapical third, bearing 5-7 short, low. rounded, widely and evenly spaced nodules along its inner margin; uppermost nodules (in posterior canal, demarcated by single prominent parietal ridge) prominent in some specimens, weak in most, absent from a few; second adapical nodule slightly more prominent than all others on most specimens. Inner lip smooth and polished, weakly flared into narrow shield over previous whorl, particularly over parietal area; bearing 3-5 basal columellar ridges. Most specimens with 3 low, similarly prominent columellar ridges, but adapical or median one slightly more prominent than others in some specimens; a few specimens (all with unusually narrow teleoconchs) with 3 nodules of abapically decreasing prominence, uppermost (adapical) much the largest; one specimen with 5 low, abapically decreasing nodules (MUSORSTOM 4: sta. DW196). Periostracum present on almost all specimens, pale straw-yellow to olive-yellow, thin, bearing many short, widely spaced bristles. DIMENSIONS. — Holotype: H 14.3, D 8.7; short paratype. same station as holotype: H 13.0. D 8.0; large, elongate paratype, same station as holotype: H 16.5, D 10.6.

Distorsionella pseudaphera closely resembles D. lewisi in shape, sculpture and apertural characters. It is distinguished from D. lewisi by reaching less than half the maximum size of D. lewisi, by its smaller, lower protoconch of 0.75 rather than 1.2 whorls, lacking the cancellate sculpture of the last stage of the D. lewisi protoconch. and by having fewer nodules inside both lips of the aperture. Also, the much more protruding protoconch is pale golden brown in live-collected D. lewisi, whereas it is translucent white in all specimens of D. pseudaphera sp. nov.
There is some evidence that what is interpreted here as one could really be two species. Relatively few specimens (LAGON: sta. 1152, 2 specimens; MIISORSTOM 4: sta. DWI84, 6 specimens; SMIB 5: sta. DW9I. I specimen; possibly including I large paratype in the same lot as the holotype, with elongate shape but with apertural characters obliterated by a polychaete that formerly inhabited the shell) arc much narrower in shape than all the others, and have larger basal columellar nodules, decreasing regularly in size abapically in all specimens; these conceivably represent a species distinct from D. pseudaphera. However, a scatter diagram comparing H:D of all available specimens showed that the shapes intergrade completely, and several specimens are exceptions to these two combinations of characters (e.g., MUSORSTOM 4: sta. DWI81. I small juv.. 1 moderately narrow adult and 1 short, wide adult, but all 3 have the columellar nodules prominent, and decreasing in size abapically). It is likely lhai all the material belongs in a single, highly variable species.
Distorsionella pseudaphera sp is placed a little tentatively in Distorsionella. because the close overall resemblance to D. lewisi does not necessarily reflect a close phylogenetic relationship. Much more study of the anatomy and radulae of more material is needed to confirm the relationship. The specific epithet reflects the almost equally close resemblance of the new species to some Cancellariidae such as Fusiaphera Habe. 1961 which, however, is shown to be superficial by the columellar ridges being short nodules that do not enter the aperture, rather than the continuous, spiral columellar ridges of Cancellariidae.

Distorsionella pseudaphera has been collected so far only north of New Caledonia and on the Loyalty Ridge.