This offshore species ranges from the Mediterranean Sea south to Angola and attains a maximum size of 40mm. The 9-10 whorls are grayish white in coloration. The costae are heavy and may appear fringed. The tops of the costae are shouldered. Occasional varices are present. The spaces between the costae as well as the sutures may be pitted on fresh specimens. A basal ridge is present. The aperture is round and the outer lip thickened. The operculum is black.
This species should be compared to C. dalli from the western Atlantic. They are not separable on the basis of shell characters. C. pumicea (Brocchi, 1814) may be an earlier name for this species. If valid, it would take precedence over C. cochlea.