[1] This microalga presents a curved and twisted appearance like a sickle.

A single chloroplast is present, filling nearly the entire cell; it lacks a pyrenoid.

[2] It is commonly used as a bioindicator species to assess the levels of nutrients or toxic substances in fresh water environments.

This species is quite sensitive to the presence of toxic substances including metals and has a ubiquitous distribution, so is broadly used in ecotoxicology.

[3][4] This species has been found to be more competitive than Chlorella vulgaris at low sodium chloride concentrations, but C. vulgaris was more competitive under salt stress.