The body is symmetrical, with a branchial crown made up of two lobes, one holding a stalked operculum.

Galeolaria build and live within white to grey calcareous tubes, up to 3 cm in length.

These tubes may be found singly or in complex interwoven colonies, forming a distinctive zone at the mid tidal regions.

A distinctive zone-forming species with its upper limit at the lowest neap water high-water mark.

Isolated tubes may be found at any level, even above the highest tide, only being wetted by spray.