The size of the holotype specimen is difficult to assess, as the two most characteristic elements of the skeleton, the skull and the humerus, are proportionally unusual. Estimating body size from the skull predicts a much larger humerus, and estimating it from the humerus predicts a much smaller skull. This may indicate that the skull was unusually large, the forelimbs were unusually small, or both. Roughly scaling from local crocodylomorph taxa such as
Dromicosuchus and an undescribed species (specimen NCSM 21722), Zanno
et al. (2015) provided an estimated length of . However, it likely grew larger, as the holotype specimen was immature owing to the unossified neurocentral sutures. The skull was large, elongated, and heavily textured in some areas, while the forelimbs were small.
Skull The low
premaxilla possessed at least six teeth and a notch at the rear of the tooth row, similar to
Dromicosuchus. Like other archosaurs, the premaxilla has a palatal process, an internally-oriented projection which forms the front of the palate (roof of the mouth). There is a conspicuous gap in this process which may have manifested as a small hole in the palate. This hole is also observed in certain other early crocodylomorphs, and it may accommodate an enlarged fourth tooth of the lower jaw. Premaxillary teeth are slender, serrated, and recurved. The
maxilla has a long ascending process (upper branch) which remains a consistent height throughout its length. Other pseudosuchians either have a much shorter ascending process (early crocodylomorphs) or one which expands (
rauisuchids) or tapers (more basal taxa) towards the rear. The posterior process (lower branch) of the maxilla is even longer, holding at least 15 teeth. Maxillary teeth are serrated and knife-like, with the front edge being significantly convex and the rear side being slightly concave. The posterior process of the maxilla is low and circular in cross-section at the front but deepens and thins towards the rear. This proportional change is unique to
Carnufex among loricatans. The posterior process also supports a sharp ridge which terminates at the rear lower corner of the
antorbital fenestra. The antorbital fenestra itself takes the form of a very large and elongated triangular hole. Distinctly, the upper rear corner of the fenestra in
Carnufex is situated above the lower rear corner, making the rear edge of the antorbital fenestra vertical rather than slanted forwards as in other early crocodylomorphs. The
lacrimal is deeply incised by the antorbital fossa (the basin surrounding the antorbital fenestra). This fossa is rimmed by a rough ridge possessing a small but characteristic forward prong similar to that seen in some
theropod dinosaurs. The outer surface of the
jugal is also covered with pits and ridges. The anterior process (front portion) of the jugal is tall and unusually smooth and rounded in shape. The jugal's posterior process (rear branch) is bifurcated, with a large and tapering main portion and a smaller triangular branch forking up from it. A bifurcated posterior jugal is present in other early crocodylomorphs as well as dinosaurs, but in the latter group the two portions are equal in size, unlike the case with
Carnufex. The
angular is thin and slender, with subtle branched texturing. A pronounced ridge crops out at the outer rear portion of the bone. This ridge likely supports the
pterygoideus ventralis muscle, although a similarly distinct ridge is rare among other crocodylomorphs, only known in
Junggarsuchus. Otherwise, the angular is similar to that of
Sphenosuchus. The
articular is generally similar to that of other crocodylomorphs, with a saddle-shaped jaw facet, a deep groove for the
chorda tympani nerve, and a small upwards projection at the rear of the bone. It also possesses a medial process (inwards branch) akin to that of earlier pseudosuchians like
Postosuchus, although the medial process of
Carnufex is a small, conical peak rather than a large projection.
Postcranium The
cervical neural arch is a complex bone adorned with nine laminae (plate-like ridges between various regions) and twelve fossae (deep pits between laminae). The neural spine is tall, rising a short distance before bending backwards at a 30-degree angle. The diapophyses (rib facets) are vertically extended and project laterally, though not very far. The rear edge of the postzygapophyses (rear
articular processes) are thin and dip downwards, though they do not converge and instead their bases are separated by a small, U-shaped gap. Various other archosaurs have a similar postzygapophyseal projection, known as a
hyposphene, though they differ from
Carnufex in that their postzygapophyses converge at the base. Few early pseudosuchians preserve enough of the atlas to properly compare with the crescent-shaped
atlantal intercentrum of
Carnufex. The dorsal neural arch is similar to that of the cervical, with a few differences. The diapophyses are much shorter and the zygapophyses are more level. The dorsal is also less complex than the cervical, with only a few laminae and fossae. These include a less prominent "hyposphene", possibly an intermediate stage between reptiles like
Postosuchus, which has a prominent hyposphene in its dorsals, and crocodylomorphs, which lack such a structure entirely. The neural spine is slightly expanded anteroposteriorly at its tip, like non-crocodylomorphs, but it does not have a spine table (lateral expansion). An asymmetrical extension visible from the underside of the neural arch may be a
pathological feature. Preserved ribs are similar to those of other
paracrocodylomorphs. The
humerus was short, with a constricted shaft. It was more similar to
Postosuchus than it was to other crocodylomorphs, as a result of several features. These include a distal end approximately three times as wide as the shaft (as opposed to two times as wide), and the presence of an ectepicondylar groove and supinator process (which are not present in other crocodylomorphs). There is also a unique characteristic present in
Carnufex but absent in all of its relatives, that being a pronounced crest forming the rear edge of the ectepicondylar groove. ==Classification==