[1] It belongs to the "non-elongated" group of elasmosaurids, meaning that its cervical vertebrae are not extremely lengthened, neither do they show great variability in length.

[1] A combination of traits can be used to distinguish Kawanectes from all other elasmosaurids: the centra of the vertebrae are wider than they are long; the projections known as the parapophyses on the caudal vertebrae are knob-like; the ischium and pubis form a "bar" of bone that encloses two diamond-shaped openings; the ratio between the length of the humerus and the femur is unusually high (1.2); the end of the humerus bears a backward projection of bone which forms an articulating surface; and the capitulum of the femur, which likewise forms an articulating surface, is strongly convex.

[1] On the basis of three known specimens, it is proposed that the genus exhibits sexual dimorphism in terms of ilium shape, humerus to femur size ratio and sacral centrum proportions, and that females are larger than males.

[4] Three specimens were initially known: the holotype, MLP 71-II-13-1, which consists of various parts of the axial skeleton along with a femur, a humerus, an ilium, and a foot bone; MCS PV 4, which again consists of various axial bones in addition to a scapula, part of a coracoid, both sets of ischia and pubes, part of a foot, and 389 gastroliths; and MUC Pv 92, which also contains axial elements along with a femur, two foot bones, and fragments of the limb girdles.

[9] Gronausaurus Speeton clay plesiosaur Wapuskanectes betsynicollsae Callawayasaurus colombiensis Styxosaurus snowii Futabasaurus suzukii Albertonectes vanderveldei Tuarangisaurus keyesi Thalassomedon haningtoni Elasmosaurus platyurus Terminonatator ponteixensis Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae Libonectes morgani Kawanectes lafquenianum Vegasaurus molyi Morenosaurus stocki Kaiwhekea katiki Aristonectes parvidens Aristonectes quiriquinensis With the discovery of Kawanectes, the plesiosaurian fauna of the Kawas sea (which spans both the Allen Formation and the contemporary La Colonia Formation) contains all three major lineages of Late Cretaceous plesiosaurs: non-aristonectine elasmosaurids (Kawanectes and Chubutinectes[10]), aristonectine elasmosaurids (Aristonectes[11]), and polycotylids (Sulcusuchus[12]).