Thoreales is an order of red algae belonging to the class Florideophyceae.

[2][3] The family of Thoreaceae was circumscribed by Arthur Hill Hassall in A history of the British freshwater algae, including descriptions of the Desmideae and Diatomaceae in 1845.

[1][7] The order is characterized by having freshwater species with multi-axial gametophytes, a uni-axial chantransia stage, and pit plugs with two cap layers, the outer one of which is usually plate-like.

They have a colourless axis filament with dense photosynthetic lateral branches.

[11] Species from the family are found in tropical and sub-tropical regions or in temperate warm waters.