Galeodea echinophora occurs in relatively shallow water, and is included here because it is the type species of Galeodea, to make coverage of the Recent species of the genus complete, and for comparison with the deep-water species revised here. Excellent coloured figures by Giannuzzi-Savelli et al (1996: figs 839-860) give a good idea of the range of variation of this species. Galeodea echinophora is a relatively wide species of Galeodea, of average size for the genus. Most specimens have prominent sculpture of wide spiral cords and 3-5 rows of moderately large nodules, of which the one peripheral row is present on spire whorls. The anterior siphonal canal is moderately long to very long (at least for a Recent species; some Early Cenozoic fossil Galeodea species have much longer canals) and is obviously but, in most specimens, rather weakly twisted. A constant character is the prominent, wide, relatively thick, but nearly smooth inner lip collar, which is raised well above the previous whorl over the neck. The operculum, as in other species referred here to the genus, is narrowly oval, with the left posterior margin weakly embayed to accommodate the parietal area, and with its nucleus at the anterior third of the height, against the abaxial (right) edge of the operculum; a weak furrow extends parallel to the right margin above and below the nucleus, and is present also on the operculum of some of the other relatively large species of Galeodea, such as G. alcocki and G. rugosa. The protoconch (Figs 11 A, C, E) is standard for Recent species of Galeodea, and is 1.3 mm in diameter.
The form adriatica of Galeodea echinophora, having smooth, strap-like cords instead of nodules, has been thought by some authors to be a distinct species limited to the Adriatic Sea. However, this form is far from limited to the Adriatic, and intergrades completely with G. echinophora, as was concluded also by Bouchet & Waren (1993: 800). The name adriatica has generally been attributed to Coen (1914), but was published first by Mascarini (1884). One of the most extreme variants I know of (other than teratalogical ones such as Pyrula provincialis Martin, 1851) is the short-spired, strongly inflated, very weakly sculptured specimen illustrated by Settepassi (1970, appendix: 6) under the name Oocorys alboranensis. This specimen has a relatively long, weakly twisted canal and a wide inner lip collar. These characters are unknown in Oocorys but, along with the low spire and wide spiral cords, are diagnostic of G. echinophora. There is no doubt that O. alboranensis is merely another synonym of G. echinophora, as also was concluded by Bouchet & Waren (1993: 800) after examination of the holotype.