Evans and Droser noticed tiny, oval impressions near some of the burrows. Funded by NASA, the two scholars used a three-dimensional laser scanner that revealed the regular, consistent shape of a cylindrical body with a distinct head and tail and faintly grooved musculature.
Research estimates the size of Ikaria to be about two to seven millimetres long and up to 2.5mm wide. The largest example of this creature known to date is believed to be approximately the same size as a grain of rice.