Macroscopic colonies visible, small, globular, blue-green or bright green, up to 1 mm. Sub-colonies massive (up to 70-100 um), with denselly arranged cells, 
common mucilage destinguasheble, colorless, gelatinous. Cells oval, sometimes almost round, blue-green, occasionally with small granulations and irregular thylakoids, 4.2-5 X 3.2-4 um.
Taxonomic note: some species of Aphanothece from USA needs revision, A. utahensis might be one of them.