Family: Colonies of a fixed number of cells (4, 8, 16, 32, or more) arranged 2- or 3-dimensionally; cells spherical, ellipsoidal, polygonal, etc. in shape; chloroplasts 1 or several, plate-like in shape, with 1 pyrenoid; asexual reproduction by autocoenobium (Illustrations of The Japanese Fresh-water Algae, 1977).
Genus: Colonies spherical, with inner empty space; cells attached to each other by a protrusion of cell wall, arranged in a single layer; cell body mostly spherical with some conical or grobular bulges; chloroplasts cup-shaped with a pyrenoid; reproduction by asexual coenobium (Illustrations of The Japanese Fresh-water Algae, 1977).
C. astroideum
2 clips
colonies of 32 cells
colony 50 μm
cells μm
Hiroshima, 1998
C. cambricum
2 clips
colony 26 μm
cells 8 μm
Shinrin koen
Saitama, 1998