Shell conical, solid, slightly higher than broad, up to 8.3 mm high and 7.0 mm broad. Protoconch as in genus. Teleoconch up to about 7 whorls. Spire sculptured with beaded spiral cords, narrower than or nearly as wide as interspaces, one of which running along suture and continued on peripheral angle of last whorl; beads aligned transversely in oblique rows parallel to growth lines. First teleoconch whorl with three spiral cords and a fine subsutural thread, number of spirals later increased by intercalation of additional cords to 6-8 on last whorl. Profile of first teleoconch whorl convex, rapidly becoming less so. Suture underlined by adapical spiral cord, therefore somewhat canaliculated. Peripheral cord broad and flat, beaded on adapical side, covered by several (usually 3-4) spiral threads on abapical side. Abapical surface convex bearing about 12-13 weak, unequal, nearly smooth spiral cords. Axis imperforate, covered by columellas edge. Aperture as in genus. Shell colour on spire, whitish with reddish flames more apparent over cords: periphery white articulated by reddish streaks; abapical surface reddish with whitish blotches and with darker reddish flecks on cords: whitish blotches not adjusted to cords but extending also on interspaces or onto neighbouring cords.

The material collected in the Madeira Archipelago is scanty, but is so clearly distinct from the neighbouring population of Seine seamount, only some 200 km distant, that it is considered worth describing. These specimens most resemble some West African specimens of Clelandella with which they share the reddish hue and rounded periphery covered by spiral sculpture. They are distinguished by smaller size, and sculpture of the base with attenuated cords, not beaded at all, and where the colour pattern does not adjust to the cords in an articulated pattern (contrary to all other species seen). Clelandella dautzenbergi is geographically the nearest neighbour, but differs in having a salient peripheral keel devoid of spirals, and a hue exclusively composed of brown tones on a white background, without any red tones observed in several hundred specimens. Despite the reduced sampling effort on the Madeiran archipelago, C. madeirensis can be considered as a rare species, compared to C. dautzenbergi which was found in large numbers in the same depth interval.

Only known from Porto Santo, Madeira Archipelago, in 220-310 m.