Shell of medium size, 45-55 mm. (1,75-2,75 inches) in height, elongate-fusiform with rounded whorls, tall spire and moderately long slightly flexed unnotched anterior canal. Spire slightly taller than aperture plus canal. Whorls 8-8,5, plus a small smooth papillate protoconch of 1,5-2 whorls, the last whorl subangulate. Post-nuclear sculpture of numerous short axial folds, 12-16 per whorl, which are absent from the shoulder area and fade out rapidly on the base, crossed by linear spaced smooth spiral cords, which commence just above the shoulder subangle and continue to the extremity of the anterior canal. Spire whorls with an unmargined adpressed suture, a smooth shoulder area and 7-8 primary spiral cords to the lower suture; of the latter, cords 2 to 4 are somewhat stronger than the rest. Sinus rather shallow, with a narrowly rounded apex situated below the middle of the shoulder area. Outer lip thin. Colour yellowish-brown with two white spiral bands, one coincident with the three stronger peripheral cords and the other at about the middle of the base.

As Turricula laysanica Dall:
Shell slender, fusiform, yellow brown with a broad white peripheral band, and a less well-defined one in front of the suture and the base, with eight well-rounded whorls exclusive of the (lost) nucleus; the suture appressed. the fasciole in front of it constricted, with only incremental lines: axial sculpture of about 15 slender rounded somewhat sigmoid ribs: these are crossed by (on the penultimate whorl seven or eight, on the last whorl more than 15) flattened cords with narrower almost channeled interspaces, toward the canal with intercalary threads, on the canal four or five with much wider interspaces; aperture ovate, outer lip thin, anal sulcus wide, not deep, with no subsutural callus, canal straight. Height of shell, 52 mm; of last whorl and canal: 33 mm; diameter. 15 mm.
Range: Laysan Island. North Pacific Ocean. (Hawaii)

This and related species are referred to Comitas, in the broad sense, mainly on account of the style of sculpture and the relatively shallow sinus.