Shell solid, whitish to pale brownish. Aperture with 11 relatively strong lirae; sometimes there are 2-3 narrow ridges on the parietal lip, spirally running into the aperture, and showing as small narrow teeth. Protoconch (eroded in most shells) multispiral with deep suture, n = 2, d = 0.2-0.3 mm, D = 1.3 mm, e.h = 1.3 mm. Transition to teleoconch difficult to locate because of erosion. Aperture rounded triangular in shape; shoulder angled, and the sutural ramp convex Columellar folds strong. Umbilicus very narrow in young shells; wide in larger shells, but even then not very deep.

The figure (Lussi et al, 2004: 9), 31 x 24 mm (H/W= 1.29), of a shell ex pisce, 75-90 m from Quissico, Mozambique, may well represent a shell of Cancellaria quasilla Petit, but seems to miss the secondary spiral lines. The slendemess of shells of that species is about the same for material from off southern India (H/W = 1.31-1.53, n - 10) and from near East Africa (H/W = 1.33-1.48, n = 5). Shells from around India seem to have a more regular build than those from off the East African coast.
Cancellaria cretacea Nyst, 1882 is a nomen novum for Cancellaria obtusa Binkhorst van den Binkhorst, 1861 (non Deshayes, 1830) from the Cretaceous of Maastricht, The Netherlands. Yet, Nyst's name for the fossil preoccupies the name introduced for the recent species from the Kerala coast, SW India, by Smith, who gave a Latin description, but no figure and stated that it is "remarkable on account of the absence of an anterior canal and of colour". Fresh shells of this species are now known to have a pale brownish tint. The "absence of an anterior canal" remains unexplained. For his Cancellaria scalarina, Lamarck (1822: 113) referred to Knorr (a.o.) (1769, 4: 42, t. 26. f. 6.), who stated (translation): 'belongs to Mignatur [Latin for miniature], they name it the Blatterkinkhorn [Leaves conch] because it attaches itself to the leaves of trees that grow on the beach in India; it is thin-shelled and has on the whorls soft ribs that are somewhat incised. The colour is yellowish brown'. The text part on the Indian beach trees (mangroves?) was copied by Chemnitz (1780: 45). Therefore and because a lectotype of C. scalarina exists, this reference must be disregarded in the context of C. scalarina. The Dutch version of Knorr (1773, pt. 4: 27, pi. 26, fig. 6) cites this figure in the context of the Koffer hoorentjes (Arcularia) (now Nassarius) of Rumphius (1705: 91-92, pl. 27, fig. M, N) to which it has very little resemblance. It must be remarked that the Dutch version is 'provided with a completely new Dutch description' (see title page of part 4).

Type locality: Laccadive Sea, Travancore Coast, S India, INVESTIGATOR sta. 229, (9°29'34"N, 75°38'E), 659 m.
Distribution: Bay of Bengal: type locality, S Burma, Andaman Sea (ANSP 291936), Chennai (formerly known as Madras) (AV1612, AV1658, AV1827), Tamil Nadu: Cuddalore (AV1565). Arabian Sea: Off Kerala (AV1924-1), off Cape Ras Hafun, Somalia (AV0012, AV0013, AV1498). Mozambique: off Quissico (Lussi et al 2004: 9).