This is a distinctive species characterized by 1) elongate-ovate, slightly cyrtoconoid shell attaining 4 mm in height, 2) protoconch helicoid, of 2 whorls, half immersed in the first teleoconch whorl and coiled at a right angle to it, 3) spire whorls flatly convex, stepped adapically, meeting at adpressed sutures, 4) body whorl oval, 60% of total height; base convex and gradually attenuated, imperforate, 5) aperture slenderly oval, narrowly truncated adapically; outer lip with slight subsutural sinuation, its inner side with 5-6 lirae not reaching the peristome; parietal callus thick; columella reflected with strong subhorizontal fold at the transition to the parietal lip, 6) sculpture of spiral cords and overriding collabral ribs forming nodes at the intersections; the ribs are continuous to the base where they gradually thin; 17 occur on the first whorl, 18-19 on the penultimate; the spirals, fully developed by the second whorl, are 3 per whorl, a fourth may partly emerge from the abapical suture, 7 occur over the base, gradually weakening downward. Mumiola superba Saurin, 1959, appears indistinguishable from Mumiola tesselata and is regarded as a synonym of it. Miralda rugosa Laseron, 1959, is also very similar and might belong here. The present species is assigned to the genus Mumiola Adams, 1863, in that it has the ribs extending throughout the whorls.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. The species ranges from West Australia to Vietnam and Japan. It dwells on sandy mud intertidally and down to 30 m depth (HORI in OKUTANI, 2000). FOSSIL RECORDS. Holocene of Thailand.