Shell moderately large, slender and fusiform, with rounded whorls and an elongate canal. Protoconch with small tip, second whorl rounded, third whorl with a moderately strong, nodose carination, gradually changing to the rounded axial ribbing of later whorls. Axial sculpture of low rounded ribs crossed by numerous line cords. Sinus shallow, on the shoulder slope, lip with a sharply pointed tubercle below the sinus. Operculum wanting. Marginal tooth relatively short and broad, tapered to a sharp point, base swollen, V-shaped

The sharp, pointed tubercle on the lip below the sinus and subcarinate phase of the protoconch are characteristic and not found in other mangeliine genera known to me. Acmaturris Woodring, 1928, is similar in size and sculpture. The two genera have a similar sinus structure; the sinus is broad and shallow, without parietal callus. Bellacythara bella is exceptionally large among eastern Pacific mangeliine species. It reaches a length of 15 mm and is thereby matched only by Tenaturris verdensis (Dall, 1919).