Turbiniform shell with a maximum observed height of 12.3 mm, apex flattened. Suture impressed, adapical part of whorls with strong axial ribs ending just above periphery in tubercle. Adapical part of whorl with spiral ribs, periphery bears row of tubercles, then 4-5 small spiral ribs followed by finely crenulated spiral rib. On base 4-5 spiral ribs, with 3 broader spiral ribs towards umbilicus in different colour pattern. Umbilicus narrow and deep, bordered by one crenulated spiral rib ending in tooth at abapical part of columella. Aperture white nacreous, inside outer lip without spiral lirae. Operculum round, multispiral, with concave outer surface and conical internal surface, brownish yellow.
Colour. - Shell whitish, with fine pink or yellowish dots on spiral ribs. Additional axial to oblique brown to dark greenish streaks from suture to periphery, occasionally adapical part of whorls are brown between axial ribs. Abapical stronger peripheral spiral rib has pinkish dots or stripes. Outer spiral ribs on base have yellowish dots, but one of them pinkish. The 3 spiral ribs around umbilicus have alternating dots or stripes in white and ruby red. Spiral rib bordering umbilicus is white with some red dots, inside umbilicus with ruby red colour.
Type locality. - Circa 300 km SE of Rodrigues Island, 21°21'S 65°52'E (but see remarks).

Rubritrochus ellenae can be recognized by the flat periphery with fine spiral ribs on it, the ruby red coloured umbilicus, and the finely crenulated spiral rib bordering the umbilicus. The holotype has been figured before by Beck (1995: pi. 2 figs 3-4) as Rubritrochus pulcherrimus.

Only known from the type locality, off Rodrigues Island.
According to the co-ordinates given for the Anton Bruun station 124F, the Indian Ocean is circa 3 km deep at the locality in question. This is an unlikely depth for a Rubritrochus species. Station 124F is the first station after the cruise made a stop in Mauritius. In the list of stations (Anonymous, 1964) only the use of plankton nets is mentioned for it, but this bottom dwelling species will not be caught with a plankton net. The label accompanying the shells does not mention any depth and should be considered incorrect. Therefore, the exact location of the type locality of R. ellenae is unfortunately unknown.