Genus: Cell body crescent in shape (long, curved, tapered at both ends); cross section rounded; cell wall smooth or with longitudinal lines, bands on the cell wall in some species; chloroplast laminae ridged and radially arranged, which makes cross section star-shaped; pyrenoids aligned or scattered (Illustrations of The Japanese Fresh-water Algae, 1977).
T=terminal; Tv=terminal vacuole

50 μm 100 μm 150 μm; x 400 : 31 μm 63 μm 94 μm; x 640

Closterium setaceum Ehrenberg var. setaceum f. setaceum: Cell body small in size, elongate, L/W= 30-42, 252-528 μm long, 6-16 μm wide; both termini slightly curved, spindle-shaped at middle; cell wall transparent or brownish with thin lines (8-13 lines/10 μm wide); 2-3 pyrenoids in each half-cell (Photomicrographs of the Fresh-water Algae, vol. 6, 1997).

* Closterium kuetzingii Brébisson var. kuetzingii: Cell body moderate in size, elongate, L/W= 18-30, 270-512 μm long, 13-22 μm wide; both termini slightly curved, spindle-shaped at middle; cell wall transparent or brownish with thin lines (8-11 lines/10 μm wide); chloroplasts composed of 5 lamellae; 4-6 pyrenoids in each half-cell (Photomicrographs of the Fresh-water Algae, vol. 4, 1985).