Shell large, broad, thick and solid for the genus, porcellaneous in structure. Holotype: 43.4 mm in length. 14.4 mm in width. The protoconch whorls are dark colored and broken off or heavily eroded in all specimens. There are X teleoconch whorls, the last whorl is very big, between half and 2/3 of the shell length, the aperture half or slightly less than the shell length. The shape of the body whorl is nicely convex with a concave area towards the siphonal canal. The suture is hidden in a sutural channel that has a crenulate shoulder. The sculpture consists of well raised flattened spiral ribs all over the shell. They are like crossed by a wavy pattern, that look as a remains of axial ribs and so are their borders: irregular, as with remnants of axial ribs. There is a strong pattern of interrupted orange-brown streaks on top of these ribs but the interspaces are pure white, again as with a suspicion of axial ribs. The aperture has a slightly thickened lip, covered in the adults with the glaze from inside the aperture. The columellar area is white, and has 4 oblique folds. Fasciole present and covered in part by the glaze of the aperture. Overall color white with the pattern as described above, the aperture is white or light pinkish inside.

The placement of this species in the genus Mitra is not yet definitive. This species could have been placed traditionally in Ziba, but the type species of Ziba H. & A. Adams, 1853 is Mitra carinata Swainson,1824 from West Africa and it is better to keep this genus for Atlantic species. There are few differences between the West-African and the Indo-Pacific species which in fact deserve a separate genus. As for the moment we place a number of closely related species in Subcancilla, close to the genus Domiporta: S. dianneae (Salibury & de Suduiraut, 2003). S. rehderi (J. H. Webb, 1958) and S. rufilirata (A.Adams & Reeve. 1850). S. rehderi differs by the much more slender shape, more pronounced shoulder and the presence of two dark bands below the suture. S. rehderi is much smaller and three times less voluminous when put next to each other, S. rehderi looks dwarfed out M. honkeri n. sp. is globose in shape, not fusiform.

The Philippines. Aliguay Island, offshore Dipolog. Mindanao.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
This species is known from Aliguay and Balicasag Island only. Both places are known to be fished at an average depth of 100 m and both places have gravel bottoms. The paratypes 4 & 5 in the Salisbury collection are labeled 240 m deep, but this is highly doubtful as Aliguay fishermen seldom fish that deep.