Early reports indicating that the species was restricted to Dongting Lake and some nearby waters were incorrect. As discussed above in the account of the order Cetacea, Lipotes long was placed in the family Platanistidae or in the Iniidae but now generally is considered to represent a distinct family. Head and body length is 200-250 cm, and one specimen weighed 160 kg.
Coloration is pale blue gray above and whitish below.
The long, beaklike snout is curved upward, and there are 32-36 teeth in each side of each jaw. The eye is greatly reduced but is functional. During periods of high water, as in the late spring and summer, Lipotes also goes upstream into lakes and small rivers. The long beak is used to probe muddy bottoms for food. The genus usually occurred in pairs, which in turn made up a larger social unit of about 10 individuals.