This species has a shovel-shaped snout. The shovelnose sturgeon, is distinguished by four lobes on the lower lip and fringed barbels in front of the mouth. The shovelnose sturgeon’s eye length goes 7.7 to 14.4 (usually 9.0 to 11.0) times into head width. Lateral plates anterior to the origin of the dorsal fin number 23 to 31, dorsal plates 13 to 19, and plates between the caudal fin base and the caudal peduncle seven to 10 (usually nine). The top on this fish is light to medium gray or brown, grading to cream or white on the venter. Barbels are all the same length; belly is scaled. Adult size: 2 to 3 feet.