Shell conical, elongate, solid. Protoconch frequently lost in adult shells, with 3 Vi - 4 whorls without a clear separation from the teleoconch, and with a diameter of about 450 µm at the lowest whorls, the nucleus measuring 50-60 µm; the sculpture comprises fine axial and opisthocline ribs, very prominent and curved, forming prominences on the deep suture; three very small, rather irregular spiral riblets crossing over the ribs. The teleoconch has 7-10 flat whorls, with three cords with nodules, which are rounded in the uppermost cord, while the lower two have a sharp upper border to be crossed by the spiral cords. Suture evident, not deep. The last whorl has 4 spiral cords, the area towards the base is smooth and concave. Under high magnification a very fine spiral sculpture crossing the growth lines can be seen. Aperture almost ovoid, with a short and opened siphonal canal. The colour of the shell is variable, with 1-2 very irregular dark brown blotches per whorl, alternating with whitish or cream areas. Dimensions: Holotype 8.4 mm in height; figured paratypes 6.4 and 4.9 mm in height. Etymology: The species' name alludes to the variable colour with different dark and whitish blotches.

C. leopardus differs from most known species of the area by its protoconch. The closest is Cerithiopsis horrida Monterosato, 1874, which has a light brown colour with irregular dark brown blotches and whose spiral cords also present a sharp border on their upper part; the protoconch is also multispiral, but the spiral sculpture of the last whorl has three very regular cordlets (see Penas et al. 2006: fig. 96), very different from the irregular and finer ones present in the new species. Furthermore, in the protoconch, the axial sculpture is formed by very fine ribs (about 18-20 per whorl), while in the new species there are only 12-13 axial ribs per whorl. The first whorl of the teleoconch of C. horrida bears three cords, the first one smaller and nodulous than the others. On the first whorl of the teleoconch in C. leopardus only two cords are present.

Distribution: Only known from the type locality. Its multispiral protoconch probably hints at a large distributional range, but since it lives in depths of 30 m or more, collection has not been frequent. Type locality: Minerio, North of Sao Tome Island, 35-43 m, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.