The troubled nomenclature story, as well as the distinction between this species and other Mediterranean ones assigned to Danilia genus were discussed, recognized and solved by Palazzi S. and Villari A. (2000). It is recognizable from D. costellata mainly as it has a columellar tooth much more prominent, as well as smaller sizes, whorls less convex with canaliculus sutur, an outline almost conic in form, and a carined base. Even the plicae on the external lip are different ones. The ornamentation is made by axial ribs and spiral ridges making a reticulate. Beige or uniform light brown in colour, sometimes with dark brown spots. Usually it is found in lower depths than costellata. It can reach 10 mm in height.

Shell conical, sharply pointed, whorls with regular array of tubercles. Aperture nearly circular with varix along the outer lip: columella broad, with triangular depression and two teeth. The shell has 6-7 tumid whorls meeting at deep sutures. They bear spiral ridges and prosocline costae with tubercles where these cross. The costae are thin and undercut near the suture and the periphery and the tubercles are steeper on the side facing down the spiral. There are about 35 costae and eleven spiral ridges on the last whorl, 30 and seven on the penult. The aperture lies in a prosocline plane, the peristomial edge flares outwards a little, and the outer lip has a series of small longitudinal ridges on its inner surface. The umbilicus is absent. The shell is white with a mother-of-pearl sheen but bears a brownish periostracum. Up to 14mm high, 10mm broad: last whorl and aperture both occupy about 45% of shell height.

We can find Danilia tinei all over the Mediterranean, but never common. It seems it prefers coralligenous and posidonieti bottoms in low depths.

D. tinei is a southern species found from the Mediterranean northwards along the western European coast in rather deep water. The sole recent record from the British Isles is from off the west coast of Ireland.