Shell with a moderately high spire and a blunt apex, moderately solid, adults up to 1.6 x 1.0 mm. Protoconch of 1.25 convex whorls; surface of larval whorls covered by minute granules arranged in five to six blurry spiral bands. Teleoconch of 2.5-3 whorls, with a sculpture of axial ribs, minute spiral threads and very faint spiral cords more developed on the abapical area. Ribs ca 40-47 on the penultimate whorl, thin, somewhat flexuous, with adapical termination bulging along the suture, and very gradually fading out on the abapical part of the body whorl. Spiral cords very low and faint, as broad as the interspaces, developed mainly on the periumbilical area of the body whorl, hardly visible on adapical part of body whorl and on spire whorls; a shallow subsutural furrow demarcating the bulging termination of the axial ribs along the suture. Spiral threads very minute but well marked, sometimes overrunning the axial ribs, usually abutting on their crests, separated by interspaces about six to eight times as broad, less distinct on the abapical area. Outer lip orthocline with a flexuous profile, with a thin edge, thickened externally at a distance of the edge by a broad rim, smooth and not thickened inside. Inner lip thin, bordering a narrow umbilicus. Shell colour entirely white, translucent.

The specimens from the summit of Seine seamount (collected in 165-190 m) differ consistently from those collected more deeply (DE82 and DE84, in a 320-455 m depth interval), and from the Madeiran types of Alvania microstriata, by having much finer and more numerous ribs (more than 40 on the penultimate whorl), a more distinct subsutural furrow and an outer lip which is thickened externally at a distance of the edge. These are deemed to represent a different species, because none of these forms was recorded in DE90 at an intermediate depth (250-256 m) despite abundance of Crisilla ovulum. Alvania adinogramma is similar in sculpture and in the construction of the aperture, but is more slender in shape.

East Atlantic Seamounts. Seine seamount (33°45'N, 14°21'W, 165 m).