[2] Haloarcula species can be distinguished from other genera in the family Halobacteriaceae by the presence of specific derivatives of TGD-2 polar lipids.

[3] H. quadrata was first isolated when researchers were attempting to culture Haloquadratum walsbyi, a haloarchaeon that was thought to be unculturable until 2004.

Similar to other halophilic archaea, Haloarcula species grow optimally at 40–45 °C.

Growth appears in sheets of up to 65 cells often in the shape of a square or triangle.

The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN)[4] and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).