The family is small, with just eight species in three genera represented; they are distributed throughout tropical to subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

The family is named Evermannellidae after Barton Warren Evermann, noted ichthyologist, naturalist and director of the California Academy of Sciences.

The eyes of the Odontostomops normalops typically range in size from small to large with a tubular structure while pointing upwards and directly laterally.

[1] The tubular nature of these eyes allow the sabertooth fish to extend their vision in specific directions, and also are presumed to aid with depth perception in the dark.

These observations suggest that there exist significant variations in the proportional dimensions of the eyes and orbits among different species of organisms, which may be indicative of distinct anatomical and functional adaptations.

[2] Sabertooth fish are usually a drab, light to dark brown when preserved; however, a brassy green iridescence is seen on the flanks, cheeks, and ocular region of well-preserved specimens.

[1][4] However, larvae and small juvenile sabertooth fishes tend to be found at depth ranges between 50m - 100m, descending to deeper water with age.

True synchronous hermaphroditism with external fertilization is known in Evermannella indica and Odontostomops normalops, and the former species appears to spawn throughout the year.