It was a member of the Spinosauridae family, a group of crocodile-like theropod dinosaurs. Like other spinosaurids, "Oxalaia" had a long nose or snout with jaws and teeth shaped to feed on fish. "Oxalaia"'s habitat was tropical, an area of large forests around which were dry deserts. "Oxalaia" shared this environment with many other animals, most of which are also known from other Cretaceous fossils discovered in Africa.