Shell up to a little more than 5 mm, high conical, solid, with about 2,25 protoconch whorls and 10-12 teleoconch whorls. Protoconch narrow and styliform, easily broken off, with convex whorls and a sculpture of flexuous axial riblets which start from the adapical suture and gradually fade out; these are irregularly distributed on the last protoconch whorls and vary in strength among individuals. Sculpture of teleoconch composed by two spiral cords, approximately as broad as the intervening space, crossed by axial ribs which form very distinct beads at their intersection with the cords. On the first
teleoconch whorl, the abapical cord is more prominent than the other one and the axial ribs are not very conspicuous. On the following whorls, the adapical cord progressively takes over as the thickest one. On the last whorl, the beads of the adapical cord become slightly more elongated but do not split. The abapical part of the body whorl bears one cord, slightly ragged but not beaded, in prolongation of the suture, and two more similar cords between this and the siphonal canal; these cords are markedly narrower than the beaded cords on the ribs and the spaces between them are crossed by raised threads parallel to the growth lines. Aperture oval, with a broad and short siphonal canal and a smaller channel at the opposite end. Adult shells have a rounded, but not thickened edge to the outer lip. Colour brown, grading to paler or even white towards the apical whorls; the nodes are paler with a greyish hue contrasting with the dark brown on spaces between nodes on the cords, and the abapical cords are also somewhat darker than the intervening spaces. Animal unknown.

It is strange that ARADAS (1870) dedicated a special paper to the description of this species whereas a few years later ARADAS AND BENOIT (1876: 239) do not list it as valid, mentioning instead that some authors hold it as a variety of Cerithium tuberculare, and do not even retain Cerithiopsis as distinct from Cerithium. Most Mediterranean authors subsequently used the name Cerithiopsis bilineata for this species, following the lead by MONTEROSATO (1878).
This species has been adequately figured and discussed by PALAZZI AND VlLLARI (2001) who noted the variability in the protoconch sculpture. The distribution of this species seems to be restricted. It is widespread in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean, but there are hardly any records from the coasts of France and Spain in the Western basin, and it is represented in our material from the Strait of Gibraltar by only three old shells. It is nevertheless cited by OLIVER BALDOVI(2007) in shell grit surrounding Posidonia grounds in the bay of Valencia, and by PALLARY (1920) from the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The specimens collected in the Strait of Gibraltar and in the Algarve are somewhat larger and broader than those from Tunisia and Sicily, and all lack a protoconch.