Shell very small, pupiform, short, with strongly constricted base. Protoconch prominent, nearly cylindrical, slightly tapering to the wide, rounded apex, and comprising 3.25 convex whorls, looking smooth but worn on type under SEM; limit from teleoconch obliquely marked by change of colour and beginning of adult sculpture. Teleoconch of 5 whorls, with 3 spiral cords per whorl, crossed at right angles by weaker axial ribs, with a rounded bead at each intersection; beads numbering 16 on penultimate whorl. The 3 cords subequal on the entire shell. A fourth spiral cord, smooth and unbeaded, emerging from suture at base of last whorl. On last whorl, the beads of the lower cords become smaller and disappear near aperture. 2 more fine smooth spiral cords on base. Aperture circular. Colour dark blackish-brown, the upper cord a little darker, protoconch whitish.
Size: holotype height 1.5 mm; maximum width 0.5 mm; height of protoconch 0.26 mm; width of protoconch at base 0.22 mm.

This species was compared with the holotype of Cerithiopsis niasensis, Thiele, 1925, from Nias Isl. (MNK lot Nr 102725 ) which has same shape and size, but has a broken protoconch with only a piece of the last smooth whorl left, and has 2 spiral cords per whorl, 3 cords on the last whorl only: thus, following our criteria, this species should be attributed to the genus Horologica. Our new species is less ventricose than Joculator minutissima Laseron, 1955. It differs from Joculator psyllos in its more swollen shape and its higher protoconch (3.25 whorls instead of 1.5). It differs from Joculator phtyr in its more ovate shape and its protoconch more cylindrical than conical of 3.5 whorls instead of 5.

Réunion: Found dead in hand-dredged sand at 10-20 m, off Saint-Gilles-les-Bains.