Described in Italian (click Italian flag)

Shell solid, ovato-conic in form, vitreous in aspect (as far as fresh specimens are concerned), semitransparent, colourless. Whorls not much convex, suture broad. Last whorl is about 2/3 of total height. Sculpture is made by fine spiral little cords, regularly spaced, crossed by a sculpture longitudinal, irregular and thin, present in the subsutural zone mainly, giving an aspect finely sculptured to surface. Also at the base there are spiral belts one of which more prominent at the periphery (visible in juvenile specimens). Aperture oval in form, columella arched, external lip a little bit thickened and umbilical crack quite narrow. Apex is made by a very small nucleus followed by one large whorl finelly sculptured spirally. Fasulo & Gaglini (1987) put in evidence, in detail, differences with fossil species Rissoa substriata Philippi, 1844. Another very similar species is Alvania cristallinula (Manzoni, 1868) that however, besides being pointed out in the Canary Islands only, has a larger number of spiral belts and a protoconch in larger sizes. Average measures of adult specimens are around 1.5 mm in height.

Habitat: it lives on solid substrata rich in algae, in the infralittoral and circalittoral zones.
Distribution: it can be found in the central Mediterranean. Never common.