[2] One species, Stichococcus bacillaris is economically important as it produces fatty acids useful for biofuels.

[1] The cells are cylindrical, about three times longer than wide, straight or sometimes curved, with rounded ends often containing vacuoles.

[1][2] Stichococcus is placed within the order Prasiolales, equivalent to the Prasiola-clade found in literature.

The morphological form of Stichococcus is not monophyletic, and therefore in 2020 it was split into several genera: Protostichococcus, Deuterostichococcus, Tritostichococcus, Tetratostichococcus, and Pseudostichococcus.

[4] Stichococcus and its relatives produce sorbitol and sucrose as an osmolyte, when subjected to salt stress.