Description. — Shell very small and fragile, almost transparent. Protoconch with a diameter of about 150 µm, relatively large for the genus (1% whorl) beginning with a very small nucleus (about 20 µm). Teleoconch short at least in the material studied, only up to 4 convex whorls. The first whorl is sculptured by growth lines crossed peripherally by spiral striae. In the following whorls the sculpture consists of predominant oblique lines with a scarcely prominent shelf separating an upper part of about 30% of the whorl and with numerous opisthocyrt axial curved lines and a lower part with prosocyrt growth lines. On the lower part of the whorl these lines are crossed by about 8-12 very fine spiral furrows and additional 5-8 lines near the base. Aperture rounded, umbilicus narrow. Dimensions: Holotype 1.3 mm high, being the largest shell examined.
Distribution. — Known from the Cape Verde archipelago.
Etymology. — The specific epithet refers to the continent where this species has been collected.
Remarks. — This species is very fragile and somewhat recalls the shell of M. columna with which it was confused. Murchisonella columna is a Pacific species, larger in size and with the subsutural part of the whorls scarcely sculptured.
Murchisonella spectrum has a larger shell than M. africana. The protoconchs are of similar size but the nucleus is larger in M. spectrum, having exactly one whorl.