体长，梭形。头呈楔形，背面粗糙。吻较短，前端尖细。口下位，横裂，唇具小乳突。吻腹面具须2对。眼小（较中华鲟相对为大）。鼻孔、鳃孔均大。鳃耙数多，排列紧密，呈薄片状。体被5行骨板硬鳞，鳞间表皮粗糙。背鳍位体后部；尾鳍歪形，上叶特别发达。鳔大，一室。体背及侧面青灰色，腹部白色，鳍青灰，边缘白色

It is a species of the Acipenseridae that has its permanent residence in freshwater. It usually inhabits the middle and lower layers of rivers and is especially fond of rivers where the crrrent is slow and rich in humus and bottom living thing. In comparison with the fish Acipenser sinensis, the growth rate of the species is high, the body is smaller and the sexually matured age is small too. Generally, when the length of body reaches 0.8 to 1.0 m and the weight 5 to 10 kg, the fish will be sexually matured. It is reported that there are two spawning types, spring and autumn: the spawning period of the first type is mainly from March to Aapril and the second may be seen as late as October and November and even December. The mature parents swim against the current to the headwaters of the rivers to spawn. They generally spawn in the main-streams, the roes are sticky and sink to the bottom, dark gray in color and smaller than the eggs of the fish Acipenser sinensis. They stick themselves on the gravel at the bottom of rivers for development. They live mainly on bottom invertebrates and also feed on water plants, algae and humus

Middle and up Yangtze Riv.