Bigeye sand tigers can reach a length of about 3.6 metres (12 ft) and smalltooth sand tigers of about 4.1 m. They are large-bodied sharks with long, conical snouts, broad-based dorsal and anal fins, and an asymmetrical caudal fin with a strong lower lobe.

[3] They are distinguished from the similar genus Carcharias by the absence of crushing posterior teeth.

[4] These bottom dwelling, deepwater sharks can be found in temperate and tropical waters of all the oceans.

[4] Extinct species within this genus include:[1] Fossils of Odontaspis have been found all over the world.

These extinct sand sharks lived from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary periods (from 136.4 to 0.012 Ma).