[1] Species of Tetraspora are unicellular green algae that exist in arrangements of four and consist of cells being packaged together in a gelatinous envelope that creates macroscopic colonies.

[2] These are primarily freshwater organisms, although there have been few cases where they have been found inhabiting marine environments and even contaminated water bodies.

[5] Blooms have been noted in contaminated environments due to excess augmentation of ammonia from industrial waste and are now being associated with the drop in biodiversity in such water bodies.

Tetraspora species are primarily freshwater organisms which inhabit ecosystems like streams, lakes, rivers, ponds.

[13] However, just recently it has been found that Tetraspora species have the ability to adapt and reside in marine environments that are exceptionally nutrient rich and receive freshwater river outflows.

[3] Likewise, the optimal growth conditions for species of the genus Tetraspora are alkaline, low mesotrophic[3] and shallow bodies of freshwater.

[2] Interestingly, species have also shown to be most abundant and well established on the beds of slow-flowing streams and rivers; where they generally take on the form of thin filamentous macroscopic colonies.

Tetraspora function as primary producers[5] and hence are responsible for capturing and assimilating the energy that will be passed down subsequent trophic levels.

[6] Spewing of sewage, industrial and fishery wastes leads to anthropogenic eutrophication,[6][15] where there is excess augmentation of ammonia; a principal nitrogen source for certain species of Tetraspora.

The excess nitrogen is proposed to contribute to uncontrolled cell proliferation of Tetraspora colonies;[6] resulting in algal blooms.

Tetraspora blooms have negative effects on the overall environmental ecology because they shift and alter the chemical properties of the water.

[16] Species of the genus Tetraspora are unicellular green algae, in which the individual cells are non-motile and are shaped spherically or elliptically.

[3] Species in the genus Tetraspora contain two pseduoflagella as a part of the pseudociliary apparatus, two cup-shaped chloroplasts with chlorophyll A and B pigments, a single pyrenoid and contractile vacuoles located inside the cytoplasm.

[17] When living conditions become less favourable, many species of the genus Tetraspora also have the ability to form into hypanospores called akineties.

[18] The basal body complex arranges itself to be closely associated with one pole of the cell, creating a mitotic spindle known as open polar fenestrae.