Sphaeropleaceae

{{Short description|Family of algae}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = British fresh-water algae, exclusive of Desmidieae and Diatomaceae (1882-1884) (20424304451).jpg

| image_caption = British fresh-water algae, exclusive of Desmidieae and Diatomaceae (1882-1884)

| taxon = Sphaeropleaceae

| authority = Kützing, 1849

| subdivision_ranks = Genera

| subdivision_ref = {{cite web | url = http://www.algaebase.org/browse/taxonomy/?id=4951 | publisher = AlgaeBase version 4.2 World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway | access-date = 2007-09-25 | title = Family: Sphaeropleaceae taxonomy browser |author1=Guiry, M.D. |author2=Guiry, G.M. |name-list-style=amp | year = 2007 }}

| subdivision =

• Atractomorpha
• Characiopodium
• Parallela
• Radiofilum
• Sphaeroplea

}}

Sphaeropleaceae is a family of green algae in the order Sphaeropleales.

The Sphaeropleaceae consists of solitary cells or filaments of cells. They are coenocytic, and reproduce asexually via zoospores or sexually via anisogamy or oogamy.{{cite journal | doi=10.1111/jpy.12118 | title=Putting incertae sedis taxa in their place: A proposal for ten new families and three new genera in Sphaeropleales (Chlorophyceae, Chlorophyta) | year=2014 | last1=Fučíková | first1=Karolina | last2=Lewis | first2=Paul O. | last3=Lewis | first3=Louise A. | journal=Journal of Phycology | volume=50 | issue=1 | pages=14–25 | pmid=26988005 | bibcode=2014JPcgy..50...14F | s2cid=24770288 }}

The family has had a convoluted taxonomic history. Depending on the author, it has been placed in one of many orders including Ulotrichales or Chaetophorales.{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s006060200002 |title=Phylogenetic position of the Sphaeropleaceae (Chlorophyta) |date=2002 |last1=Wolf |first1=M. |last2=Buchheim |first2=M. |last3=Hegewald |first3=E. |last4=Krienitz |first4=L. |last5=Hepperle |first5=D. |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |volume=230 |issue=3–4 |pages=161–171 |s2cid=37285971 }} Currently, it is placed in its own order, the Sphaeropleales. It appears to be the sister group to the rest of the families in its order. It also differs from the other families in the ultrastructure of the basal bodies of their flagella.