Chlorococcales is an order of green algae in the class Chlorophyceae.
Individual specimens are sometimes found in soil, but mostly in fresh and marine waters.
The order contains approximately 780 species.
Conventionally, many groups of coccoid green algae were lumped in the order Chlorococcales sensu lato by Komárek & Fott (1983), based on Pascher's (1918) idea of establishing orders according to life forms.
However, coccoid green algae are currently placed in several orders of Chlorophyceae, Trebouxiophyceae, Ulvophyceae (e.g., Chlorocystis) and Prasinophyceae within the division Chlorophyta, or in the division Charophyta (e.g., Chlorokybales, Desmidiales).Krienitz, L. & C. Bock 2012.
Present state of the systematics of planktonic coccoid green algae of inland waters.
Hydrobiologia 698(1):295-326.
Families
thumb|Illustration of some Chlorococcales According to Algaebase (2007):
Actinochloridaceae
Ascochloris
Characiaceae
Characiosiphonaceae
Chlorococcaceae
Chlorochytriaceae
Chlorosarcinaceae
Coccomyxaceae
Dictyosphaeriaceae
Endosphaeraceae
Golenkiniaceae * Neochloridaceae (Algaebase 2014)
Hormotilaceae
Hydrodictyaceae
Hypnomonadaceae
Micractiniaceae
Nautococcaceae
Protosiphonaceae
Radiococcaceae
Rhopalosolenaceae
Scenedesmaceae
Sorastraceae
Sphaerodictyaceae
Sphaeropleaceae
Treubariaceae
According to Komárek & Fott (1983):
Chlorococcaceae (Chlorococcoideae, Spongiococcoideae)
Palmellaceae   (Hormotiloideae, Palmelloideae, Neochloridoideae, Chlorosarcinoideae)
Chlorochytriaceae
Dicranochaetaceae
Characiaceae (Fernandinelloideae, Characioideae, Schroederioideae)
Treubariaceae
Golenkiniaceae
Hydrodictyaceae
Micractiniaceae
Botryococcaceae  (Dictyosphaerioideae, Ecballocystoideae, Botryococcoideae)
Radiococcoideae  (Radiococcoideae, Disporoideae, Dictyochlorelloideae, Palmodictyoideae)
Oocystaceae (Lagerheimiodeae, Oocystoideae, Eremosphaeroideae, Glaucocystoideae)
Chlorellaceae (Siderocelidoideae, Chlorelloideae, Ankistrodesmoideae, Tetraedronoideae, Scotielloideae)
Coelastraceae
Scenedesmaceae (Coronastroideae, Danubioideae, Crucigenioideae, Tetrallantoideae, Scenedesmoideae, Dimorphococcoideae)
According to Smith (1938):
Chlorococcaceae
Endosphaeraceae
Characiaceae
Protosiphonaceae
Hydrodictyaceae
Oöcystaceae
Scenedesmaceae
References
Bibliography
Komarék, J.; Fott, B. 1983.
Chlorophyceae (Grünalgen), Ordnung: Chlorococcales, In: Huber-Pestalozzi, G., (Ed), Das Phytoplankton des Susswasers; Systematik und Biologie.
Stuttgart, E. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhhandlung, Bd 7, fasc.
1, 1044p.
