Shell elevated and conical, very elongate and slender, summit angle 22°. Protoconch prolonging the general shape of teleoconch. comprising 5 convex smooth whorls, with under SHM some very fine axial threads above suture on first whorl, and a weak spiral cord in suture between the 4th and 5th whorls; limit from teleoconch oblique and well marked, the last 1/4 whorl bearing a median spiral carina, more or less visible. Teleoconch of 10 strongly convex whorls. Suture deeply impressed. 3 beaded spiral cords per whorl, the uppermost one somewhat weaker and slightly constricted, but visible from first whorl. Axial ribs weaker than cords, crossing them and joining the beads, obliquely in the first interval, axially in second one. and extending from upper to lower suture, but discontinuous from one whorl to another. Axial ribs and beads numbering 26 to 28 per whorl. A fourth spiral cord, weaker and smooth, emerging from suture at base of last whorl. One more weak and smooth spiral cord on base. Aperture rounded. Colour white, suture and upper beaded cord very pale brown in fresh specimens, but this colour fades rather fast. Protoconch white.
Size: maximum total height 6.1 mm; width at base 1.4 mm; height of protoconch 0.56 mm; maximum width of protoconch 0.30 mm.

Our specimens appear identical to the holotype of Cerithiopsis fosterae Melvill & Standen, 1896. type locality Loyalty Islands, in MM: a single specimen that matches the figure of Melvill & Standen, with a protoconch broken at summit and 3 whorls left. They are identical also to the syntypes of Melvill & Standen in NMW (lot Nr Z.1955.158.00205 ) five specimens from Lifu: only one specimen has a protoconch of 3 whorls, with broken summit. Furthermore our specimens are identical to specimens in two other lots of the Melvill-Tomlin collection in NMW, from Mauritius, of which none has a complete protoconch. The original description of Melvill & Standen described a protoconch of 3 whorls instead of 5, without mentioning the broken summit, and described 2 beaded spiral cords on teleoconch whorls; the third and upper cord, weaker and constricted, not mentioned in the original description, is nevertheless visible on Melvill & Standen’s figure, and on the types and syntypes.

Réunion Island. Off Saint-Gilles-Les-Bains.