Shell (Figure 4A-B) small, narrow fusiform, fragile, with elevated spire and wide, attenuated siphonal canal. Protoconch and upper teleoconch whorls eroded. Remaining shell circa 6,5 weakly convex whorls, slightly angulated at shoulder. Suture shallow, weakly adpressed subsutural ramp nearly flat. Axial sculpture limited to thin, narrowly spaced, slightly raised growth lines. Spiral sculpture of strong, narrow, raised cords, varying in prominence, separated by broader interspaces. Four narrow, irregularly spaced cords on subsutural ramp, one strong cord at shoulder producing an angulated profile for whorls, 14 cords below shoulder and on siphonal canal, becoming more closely spaced along distal portions of siphonal canal. Anal sinus wide, deep, nearly symmetrical, with deepest point slightly above shoulder cord. Last whorl convex, comprising 0.6 of SL. Aperture moderately high, narrow, oval, comprising 0.5 of SL. Outer lip broken, showing spiral cords. Parietal region with narrow but thick callus, completely overlaying spiral sculpture. Columella smooth. Siphonal canal long, widely open, well differentiated from aperture, nearly straight. Shell colour chalky white. Periostracum thin, peeling, olive and smooth. Operculum (Figure 4C) large, occupying nearly entire aperture, narrow, oval, lower region including nucleus abraded. SL 11.6 mm, BWL 6.9 mm, AL 5.8 mm, SW 4.2 mm.

Body (based on rehydrated dried tissues of holotype) lacks pigmentation. Head well defined, small, with short tentacles, eyes absent. Holotype is an adult male, penis very long, thick, spans entire mantle cavity, terminates in medium sized conical seminal papilla, not surrounded by fold. Proboscis straight, venom gland very short but thick, muscular bulb small. Radular sac very long, spanning almost entire haemocoel. Radula (Figure 4D-F) of hypodermic marginal teeth, with short ligament and thin but strong subradular membrane maintaining radular integrity within radula sac. Teeth long, around 270 mu in length (4.7% of AL), base rounded, small, tooth canal opening long, subterminal. Tip with short cutting edge lacking barbs.

The shell morphology of this new species is very similar to that of Drilliola emendata, the type species of the genus, although the eroded protoconch in the new species does not allow full comparison. The radula of D. antarctica is generally similar to that of D. emendata as illustrated by Bouchet and Waren (1980: fig. 29), but also resembles the radulae of many other Borsoniidae. Engl (2012:190) noted the resemblance of this species to D. emendata (Monterosato, 1872). Several fossil species from New Zealand are also attributed to Drilliola (Beu 2011).

The species appears to be restricted to the South Shet-and South Orkney Islands