Shell rather small for the genus, from 4.1 to 7.2 mm in diameter, quite solid, the diameter larger than the height. The protoconch has 2 and a half whorls, rapidly expanding in width, quite flat. In the holotype, the transition to the teleoconch is only visible through the change in color from the dark protoconch whorl to the lighter colored start of the teleoconch whorls. The very top of the protoconch is white and translucent, the rest light brown in color. There are only two and a half teleoconch whorls, also rapidly expanding in size. They are separated from each other by a quite clear cut but not very deeply incised suture. The first teleoconch whorl has 5 clear raised spiral ribs. On the penultimate whorl, above the aperture, we measure 6 of these ribs. On the later whorls, under magnification, one sees that the ribs are clearly separated from each other by a thin channel. In these channel, one sees small raised ribs especially between the upper ribs, near the suture. The outer shell layer is very thin, and on the first whorls, the mother of pearl of the next shell layer is visible. In some shells, this erosion is extended to the body whorl. On the base, one counts about 10 ribs, without interspaces, between the periphery and the umbilicus. The umbilicus is very deep, one can see with light almost to the apex, clearly separated from the rest of the shell with a deep channel, the walls of the umbilicus are white and so is the columellar area which borders it. The inside of the aperture is mother of pearl, rich in colors such as tints of purple of reds. The periphery of the aperture has a thin border, not covered with mother of pearl. The shells, where not eroded, are brown in color, but many have a nice pattern of pale cream flecks on the lower part of the body whorl and the base. We refer to the plates for more details.

The new Pseudotalopia is much smaller but close to the two known other species of this genus which also live in the Philippines:
- Pseudotalopia sakuraii Habe, 1961
The holotype of this species has been figured in Higo et al. (2001). This shell measures 16.4 mm and is as such about 3 times larger than the new species. P. sakuraii can be distinguished at once by its big size, and secondly by the presence of only 2 quite sharp spiral ribs on the penultimate whorl. In the holotype of P. rainesi n. sp. the spiral ribs on the penultimate whorl are much more regular, they number 5, are more rounded and separated by thin spiral grooves. The body whorl of P. rainesi n. sp. is more rounded when compared to the more angular body whorl of P. sakuraii. The mouth in P. sakuraii is more gaping, while the mouth in P. rainesi n. sp. is turned more downwards. The pattern on the periphery in P. rainesi n. sp. consists of spaced white flecks, quite oblique and large in shape, while the pattern on the periphery in P. sakuraii are interrupted elongate dark streaks on top of the last thin spiral rib.
- Pseudotalopia fernandrikae Vilvens, 2005
Described from Luzon. The holotype of this species is to be seen in Venus, vol. 63. P. fernandrikae has since been found all over the central Philippines and in southern Mindanao, Balut Island. Most material in collections comes from the fishermen of Aliguay Island, northwestern Mindanao, where the species seems to be quite common between 100 and 150 m deep. This species is also about 3 times, even 4 times larger than P. rainesi n. sp. The holotype measures 18.1 mm. P. fernandrikae has usually a pale isabelline coloration, occasionally with some orange in it. There is no noteworthy pattern in the shells, which are covered with a multitude of very thin spiral ribs of different strength. Apart from the size and the coloration, this species differs from P. rainesi n. sp. by the absence of clear rounded spiral ribs separated by deep spiral grooves. The umbilicus in P. fernandrikae is much more covered
by the columellar path than it is in P. rainesi n. sp. and the big white knobs bordering the umbilicus in P. rainesi n. sp. are absent in this species.

TYPE LOCALITY
Philippines. Olango Island. Panganan. 400 m deep.
DISTRIBUTION
At present only known from the type locality.