As Galeodea marginalba:
The shell is solid, spire high, angulate, raised with nodulous whorls and a very deep wavy suture, aperture wide, outer lip faintly denticulate on its side with a strongly developed tooth at the opposite of the single columellar tooth. Sculpture consisting of densely set fine spiral ribs. Last whorl consists of 4 heavily nodulous spiral cords and a very faint lower one. The parietal-columellar shield is narrow and faintly granulose on the lower part. Shell cream yellow and a white columella. The shell has an ovate form, is relatively heavy, no previous varices, anterior canal is produced and slightly upturned, the outer lip weakly dentate and a narrow parietal-columellar shield, which leads us to conclude that the shell belongs to the genus Galeodea s. s. The shells of the genus Echinophoria have a more globose form and are much lighter. The shell is in its general appearance closely related to G. echinophorella Habe, 1961.

The published illustrations and the material examined indicate that this is a highly variable species. Most specimens of Galeodea bituminata are relatively small (H 35-50 mm), although the holotype of G. marginalba (synonym) is 69.8 mm high. It is therefore among the smallest Recent species of Galeodea, and most specimens quite closely resemble the equally small New Zealand species G triganceae. Both also quite closely resemble small specimens of G. echinophora in shape, in the length and degree of flexure of the anterior canal, and in most specimens having 3-5 rows of small nodules on the last whorl, with one or, in a few specimens, two rows on spire whorls. However, both species consistently are narrower than G. echinophora. A distinctive character of G. bituminata is its prominent, narrow, rather widely spaced spiral cords. It also has a conspicuously thickened, reflected and weakly nodulose terminal varix, a character distinguishing it readily from G. triganceae. The inner lip is well thickened in most specimens, but in most specimens is elevated into a much lower and narrower free collar than in G. echinophora. I am aware of only one specimen, other than the holotype, that has been referred to G. marginalba. This specimen was recorded by Segers & Terryn (2003) from 120 m in the Taiwan Channel, and identified as G. marginalba', it is 68.6 mm high with four prominent rows of nodules. As with the holotype of G. marginalba, this appears to be merely a large specimen of G. bituminata.

Galeodea bituminata, as construed here, ranges from southern Japan, including Okinawa, and Taiwan to the Philippine Islands, Indonesia, northwestern Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. It seems likely that Recent specimens occur throughout the western Pacific, in c. 200-700 m.