Type species: Z. carinata (Swainson, 1824).
Shells in the genus are moderately small, 15.0-45.0 mm in length, elongate-fusiform and occasionally subangulate at sutures, teleoconch of 7-8 whorls, protoconch of 2-2.5 smooth, glassy embryonic whorls. Sculptured with a presutural carina, spiral grooves or spiral cords and axial lirae in the interspaces; the spiral grooves are sometimes confined to the presutural ramp and the base of the body whorl or are quite distinct along the entire length of the last whorl. Aperture narrow, fusiform, longer than the spire, smooth within, outer lip slightly thickened and simple or bluntly undulate; columella with 3-5 oblique folds, siphonal canal straight, siphonal notch distinct. Periostracum brown.
The radula of the type species is still unknown and the relationship of Ziba to either Concilia or Subcancilla remains obscure. In shell-form Ziba resembles Subcancilla but in sculpture it differs to both Concilia and Subcancilla. The genus-group Ziba is tentatively adopted as a full genus until a radular comparison with Concilia can be made.
During the Tertiary, species of Ziba were well represented in Europe and 2 species still survive in W. Africa. The typical Ziba group contains 12 living and 11 fossil "species" from the Italian Tertiary. The radula of Indo-Pacific Ziba species is similar to the radula of Mitra s.s. and only the third or fourth anterior cusp of the rachidians is slightly more produced.