Shell: Size small for genus (height up to 5.7 mm, width up to 5.2 mm), conical, slightly higher than wide; height 1.0-l.lx width, 3.2-3.9x aperture height; periphery subangular, tricarinate. Protoconch paucispiral, diameter approx. 320 µm, rounded, with 5 thin, unequally spaced spiral threads; terminal lip straight, without varix. Teleoconch of up to 5.5 whorls; first two whorls convex, subsequent whorls straight; shoulder oblique with angulate rim on first two whorls, horizontal thereafter; whorls with up to 8 spiral cords; cords smooth and thin on early whorls, subsequently adapical cords becoming beaded and abapical cords subgranular. Suture moderately canaliculate on early whorls, not so on final whorl. First whorl sculptured from start by 5 thin, more or less equally spaced, spiral cords; PI forming rim of shoulder at end of whorl; P5 very close to suture; no axial threads visible. On second whorl, all cords remaining similar in strength. On third whorl, prosocline axial folds develop at start of whorl, stronger on subsutural area and adapical part, rendering PI and P2 subgranular; secondary cord SI arising and rapidly equalling P2 and P3 in strength; PI strongest; P4 strengthening but remaining weaker than PI, subgranular, forming suprasutural carina. On fourth whorl, PI and P4 strongest, P2 and P3 weakest, P5 covered by suture; S3 may arise on some specimens; shoulder more or less horizontal, suture not canaliculate. On fifth whorl, S1 only slightly weaker than P1, clearly beaded. On last whorl, S5 arising and P5 emerging from suture, almost smooth, in combination with P4 forming a tricarinate periphery; adapical cords more strongly beaded than abapical one; sometimes with additional tertiary cords on large specimens (e.g. specimens from Wallis Is.). Aperture subcircular; peristome incomplete; inner and outer lips thin at rim; angulation at base of columella obtuse. Columella concave, with small basal flange, weakly reflected. Base almost flat, with one subperipheral cord (sometimes two in large specimens) and two strong, close-set, beaded cords bordering umbilicus, innermost of which is strongest; both peri-umbilical cords with coarse nodules; intermediate portion of base nearly smooth. Umbilicus deep, narrow (diameter ca. 6-10% of shell width), funnel-shaped, with angulate rim; interior wall with 4-6 thick spiral cords.Colour: Early teleoconch whorls and base nacreous white; subsequent whorls nacreous pinkish-white (Vanuatu specimens) to completely white (Wallis Is. specimens); protoconch white.

Arxellia maestratii resembles A. trochos from southern New Caledonia but the former species has fewer, thinner and more widely spaced spiral cords, a greater H/HA ratio, a smooth median area on the base, a narrower umbilicus and peri-umbilical granules that are not elongated. Arxellia maestratii also resembles A. herosae, likewise from southern New Caledonia, but the present species is smaller and slightly more elevated, and has P4 (instead of P5) forming the characteristic suprasutural carina of Arxellia. Furthermore, it has a flatter base with an umbilicus that is not appreciably occluded by any callus deposit. Since only dry material was available, there are no molecular data for this species.

Type locality. Vanuatu, MUSORSTOM 8, stn DW972, 19°22'S, 169°28'E, 487-507 m.
Distribution. Vanuatu, 440-487 m (dead); Wallis Island, 415-420 m (dead).