It is currently known from two specimens that were discovered in an exposure of the Jialingjiang Formation in Yuan'an County, Hubei, and referred to the newly named species Eretmorhipis carrolldongi in 2015.

Eretmorhipis carrolldongi is noted for its exceptionally small eyes relative to the body, platypus-like snout, and plates on its back "like a stegosaurus.

[2] Eretmorhipis was a relatively small reptile, with the second specimen IVPP V4070 measuring about 1 m (3.3 ft) in total body length.

[1] University of California, Davis paleobiologist Ryosuke Motani told The New York Times that the animal's odd features initially stunned him: “When I first saw it, I just said ‘What?

Below is a cladogram from their analysis:[5] Hovasaurus Cartorhynchus Chaohusaurus Nanchangosaurus Eohupehsuchus Hupehsuchus Parahupehsuchus Polydactylous hupehsuchian Eretmorhipis