Shell rather solid, elongate, fusiformly cylindrical. Protoconch dome-shaped with 2,5 smooth whorls and a central nucleus; teleoconch of 5 whorls. Sutures prominent but not deeply excavated. Spire height about or slightly less than half the total shell height. Anterior fasciole usually weak, anterior canal short, moderately broad and shallow, oblique. Aperture narrow, outer lip sharp, slightly patulous anteriorly, elliptical; columella nearly straight, bearing 4 strong, vertical plaits which cross the columella at a slight angle, the anterior plait is the smallest of the 4; there may be an additional spiral cord or very weak 5th plait posteriorly on the parietal wall. First to fourth teleoconch whorls with convex sides, ornamented with strong axial costae, 18-21 on the first teleoconch whorl, 17-23 on the on the second, 13-18 on the third, and 11-14 on the fourth; body whorl with up to 12 axially elongate angular nodules or short axial costae at the shoulders or on the posterior 1/3 of the whorl excluding the sutural ramp (nodules sometimes confined to the ventral and left sides of the body whorl). External surface smooth except for minute spiral striae, glossy, cream with a pale pink or orange band around the sutural ramp, a spiral row of small orange-brown spots in the sutures, usually another spiral row of orange-brown spots just anterior to the centre of the body whorl, and sometimes two wide spiral bands of very faint orange-brown reticulate markings. There is a tiny light brown spot at the nucleus of the protoconch. Interior cream. Height : 5.98 cm; Width: 2.06 cm.

The number of axial costae on the early teleoconch whorls and the development of nodules or short costae on the body whorls are rather variable in this species. Also there is some variation in the development of the anterior fasciole. In one Rottnest I. specimen the anterior fasciole is quite strong, the spire is relatively low, and the shell is more cylindrical than fusiform, although in other characters it fits the rest of the Recent series. Of the living species of Notovoluta, the nearest relative of N. pseudolirata may be the new species N. baconi which lives in similar depths a little further north. Distinguishing characters are given in the discussion of N. baconi. Another close relative is N. kreuslerae. That species has similar markings including sutural spots and a tiny spot on the protoconch nucleus, but the shell is much larger, broader, with a strongly developed anterior fasciole and angulate shoulders bearing prominent pointed nodules, and the axial costae on the early teleoconch whorls are poorly developed. The south coast species N. occidua is also similar but may be distinguished by the even narrower shell, very strong axial costae, and smaller protoconch . Further study may show that N. occidua is merely a southern subspecies of N. pseudolirata. N. verconis from South Australia is quite distinctive for it has a rather small, stout, fusiform shell with broad angulate shoulders, heavy shoulder nodules, and a small protoconch. It may be noted that the faint reticulate pattern on N. pseudolirata is very like that of N. verconis, although the latter species lacks sutural spots and the brown spot on the protoconch nucleus.