Shell fusiform with b/1 0.33, a/1 0.39, whorls convex, not shouldered, outer lip flattened, somewhat alate, siphonal canal moderately long, tip obliquely truncate with a feeble notch; aperture narrow, fasciole absent. Outer lip with crenulate edge, stromboid notch a deep, asymmetrical sinus; anal sinus very deep, asymmetrically and openly U-shaped, adapically directed. Inner lip with a moderately thick callus glaze, its outer edge well-defined, forming a convex parietal pad inside anal sinus, base of callus with a small denticle inside siphonal canal. Whorls with periphery median. Suture undulating, most strongly on early whorls. Subsutural cord distinct on early whorls, becoming less well-defined with growth, somewhat undulating, sulcus shallow, asymmetrically concave, barely differentiated on last whorl. Axial ribs strong, on spire orthocline, straight and aligned across whorls, becoming arcuate, opisthocline and non-aligned on last whorl, evanescing in sulcus and abruptly at parietal level, 7 per spire whorl, 8 on last whorl, absent between terminal varix and lip; varix high, convex, situated to right of midline. Spiral sculpture of low, rounded ridges, higher where they cross ribs but not forming nodules, ridges mostly 0.3-0.5 width of their intervals; some intervals with weaker, slightly granular ridges; penultimate whorl with about 7 main spiral ridges, subsutural region with weak, somewhat ill-defined spiral threads, 2-3 on subsutural cord. Collabral striae present. Medium brown, intervals between ribs darker, spiral ridges paler where they cross the ribs, base yellowish-brown; aperture and inner lip violaceous-brown. Protoconch papilliform, of about 1.5 whorls, eroded; breadth 0.54 mm.

Although only a single specimen is available, it is in fresh condition, and displays characters that are sufficiently diagnostic to permit its description as a new species. The most closely comparable species appears to be Crassispira latiriformis (Melvill, 1923), apparently endemic to New Caledonia; that species has a much shorter siphonal canal, a lower spire, a larger protoconch (breadth about 0.80 mm), a mid-dorsal varix, only a slight stromboid notch and a non-alate outer lip; finally, the axial ribs in C. safagaensis are weaker below the suture than in C. latiriformis. The only other similar glossy brown Indo-West Pacific species appears to be Crassispira (?) vibicina (Helbling, 1779) (= Pleurotoma interrupta Lamarck, 1816, non Murex interruptus Brocchi, 1814) from Indonesia and the Philippines. This is a much larger species (exceeding 34 mm in length), narrower with a more strongly defined subsutural cord, less convex whorls, a shallow but wide sulcus, short peripheral axial ribs and close-set spiral ridges.

Type material - Holotype: ZMA Moll. 4.08.005; 16.0 * 5.2 mm, aperture 6.2 mm; Red Sea, Egypt, Port Safaga.