Shell small, elongate, white and fragile, imperforate. Spire involved in body whorl and sealed over. Posterior end narrow and constricted, anterior end somewhat swollen. Sculpture of about 54 fine punctate grooves more strongly marked anteriorly and posteriorly. Strength of sculpture variable, but in general a weak groove alternates with a strong groove. Punctations rounded posteriorly, linear anteriorly. Aperture longer than body whorl, produced posteriorly, widely expanded anteriorly. Outer lip thin, swept forward medianly in a white convex curve. Inner lip spread as a moderate glaze over the body whorl. Columella somewhat thickened, gently and evenly concave.
Height, 13,6 mm.; diameter, 6,9 mm.

This is the first record of the group living in New Zealand waters, although a number of Tertiary species have been described. Of these, otagoensis is closest to miriamae Dell, from which it differs considerably in being larger and having much finer sculpture. Its closest relatives are probably not to be found in the New Zealand Tertiary but in adjacent deep-water areas. In general appearance it is not unlike Bucconia japonica (A. Adams) from Japan, figured by Habe (1954) and Kuroda and Habe (1954), but has coarser sculpture and differs in general outline. The genera centred round Scaphander can only be satisfactorily distinguished by animal characters, and, although otagoensis has been obtained in numbers, no living examples have been collected. It must therefore be left in Scaphander (s.l.).