Shell small in sizes, conic-depressed in outline, whorls roundish, suture incised, base convex. Umbilicus open, columella arched and roundish in aperture. Surface smooth, made exception for the base where sometimes there are some concentric spiral striae. Usually, on a ground either brown or orange in colour with darker little rectangular stains, there is always a metallic brightness all over the surface. The adult specimens average measures are around 4-5 mm in diametre.

It is recognizable from G . depranensis since this last one has one spiral streaking all over the surface, it has a narrower umbilicus, it is more depressed in outline, with aperture and last whorl larger and with a different colour pattern. The differences with the juvenile specimens of G racketti are evident. This last one is different in spiral sculpture and the whorls are much less roundish. Moreover the juvenile specimens of Phorcus richardi have a more depressed spiral, whorls less roundish, suture less broad, columellar margin broader and a different colour pattern.

It can be found along France and Algeria coasts, but it can be also found along Sicily coasts (Italy), the Balearic Islands. Liguria (Italy), Puglia and Lazio coasts (Italy). Rhodes (Greece) and Greek coasts. Never common. It lives in the meso and infralittoral zones, on coralligenous bottoms.

For a long time this species was considered a simple subspecies of G. depranensis, but Verduin (1979) confirms its specific validity again examining some imaged shells of Dautzenberg's collection and on the basis of other discoveries.