[1] Characiochloridaceae consists of solitary or rarely clustered cells, attached to a substrate via a stalk or other adhesive organ.

The cell contains a single parietal chloroplast, which may be cup-shaped and variously lobed and dissected.

Asexual reproduction occurs when the protoplast successively divides into 2-64 zoospores, each with two flagella.

[2] The taxonomy of Characiochloridaceae is in need of revision, as phylogenetic studies using rDNA have shown that it is not monophyletic.

The type genus, Characiochloris, is closely related to genera in the family Characiosiphonaceae.