Slightly iridescent, yellowish-brown or pale khaki, with a white subsutural band followed by a dark brown line, base with a pattern of brown zigzag lines, back of last whorl somewhat blotched. Sculptured by strong, compressed axial ribs, 15-16 on penultimate whorl, interspaces smooth. Spiral sculpture consists of a subsutural ridge and 8-10 fine ridges on base of last whorl. Columella with up to 6 small denticles. Outer lip with up to 6 denticles, the posterior one the strongest. Length ca 3 mm. Distribution and habitat: Tropical Pacific Ocean to South Africa, south as far as Transkei, living in low-tide pools and to a depth of nearly 100 m, on a coarse sand and stone bottom.
Note: Differs from Seminella peasei in shape, smaller size, wider aperture and absence of spiral sculpture between its ribs. Commonly misidentified as Zafra troglodytes (Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1866). Types: Columbella selasphora, holotype, BMNH
1901.12.9.39 ; type loc. Karachi, Pakistan.

This species has a glossy, unpigmented shell, 2.5 to 3 mm long with 2.5 to 3 teleoconch whorls. The shell has opaque white bands blow the suture, at the level of the suture on the body whorl, and at the base, and straw coloured bands between. The hindmost straw coloured band is rimmed posteriorly with a single interrupted brown spiral line. The anterior white bands have wavy axial brown lines that extend to the anterior tip of the shell. There is a weak subsutural groove. The aperture edge is regularly denticulate. The protoconch is off-white, with 3.5 to 3.75 whorls, and a brown suture at the apex. Sleurs (1987) considers this a synonym of Zafra troglodytes, but they differ in several aspects; most noticeably, this species is glossier and only has spiral groves at the base of the shell, whereas those on Z. troglodytes cover the bottom half of the body whorl.