Diagnosis: Protoconch large, 660-760 µm in diameter. Shell moderate to depressed turbiniform; whorls rounded, not shouldered; sutures slightly sunken; sculpture of broad, close set lirae, no axial pliculae, only weak irregular growth-lines. Base and umbilicus evenly rounded and lirate. Whitish, rarely showing any other coloration.
Description: Shell moderate to depressed turbiniform (L/D =0,70-0,82); whorls evenly rounded, without shoulder, sutures slightly sunken; periphery at or near mid-whorl; teleoconch of up to 4 whorls. Sculpture primarily of spiral lirae; lirae absent or obscure on first whorl becoming fully developed on second which ends with ca 15; body whorl with up to 20 lirae above periphery; lirae broad, usually much wider than intervals, flat-topped and glossy, intervals lustreless. Axial sculpture of fine, irregular, prosocline growth-lines only. Base sculptured as above; lirae bordering umbilicus may be broader. Umbilicus open, relatively wide, sculptured as base, margin evenly rounded, weakly and irregularly pliculated by growth-lines. Aperture subcircular, peristome may or may not be complete; outer lip prosocline, nearly smooth; interior nacreous. Protoconch: As in S. philippense but larger and more globose, 660-760 µm in diameter. Colour: White to yellowish-white, translucent when taken alive and tinged grey by underlying tissue; no colour pattern, but some larger specimens from Agulhas Bank are washed with a light to moderate pink above periphery; lirae sometimes with a pink/green iridescence. Protoconch opaque, yellowish-white. Dimensions: Largest NM specimen, diameter 8,3 mm, length 6,5 mm. Thiele records a diameter of 8,5 mm.

South Africa: Central Transkei to western Cape, 134-550 m (living specimens 134-340 m, often associated with coarse, sandy substrata).