• Microcystis pulverea f. elachista : West, G.S West, Elenkin (1938)
• Microcystis pulverea f. conferta: G.S West, West, Elenkin (1938)
• Microcystis elachista: West, G.S West, Compère (1967)
• Aphanocapsa planctonica : G.M. Smith, Anagnostidis (1995), Komárek
• Aphanocapsa elachista var. planctonica: G.M. Smith (1920)
• Aphanocapsa elachista f. conferta: G.S West (1912), West
• Aphanocapsa conferta: G.S West, West, Cronberg (1993), Komárková-Legnerová

Colonies microscopic, spherical or oval, with very sparsely arranged solitary cells, aft. Mucilage homogeneous, scarce, colourless, usually diffluent. Cells spherical, grey or pale blue-green, without aerotopes.

Planktonic in eutrophic water bodies, very common in tropical countries, rare in warm regions of the temperate zone.

Distribution:  as Aphanocapsa elachista West & G.S.West

Europe: Britain (Whitton et al. 2003), Germany (Täuscher 2011), Romania (Caraus 2012), Spain (Veiga, Cremades & Bárbara 1998), Sweden (Skuja 1948). North America: Arkansas (Smith 2010), Connecticut (Hylander 1928). South America: Brazil (Werner 2010). Africa: Sierra Leone (Alfinito 2011). South-west Asia: Iran (Afsharzadeh et al. 2003), Israel (Vinogradova et al. 2000), Pakistan (Leghari et al. 2005), Punjab (Anon 2012). Asia: China (Hu & Wei 2006). South-east Asia: Singapore (Pham et al. 2011). Australia and New Zealand: New Zealand (Broady & Merican 2012), Queensland (Bostock & Holland 2010).

As Aphanocapsa elachista f. conferta West & G.S.West
Europe: Romania (Caraus 2002). Australia and New Zealand: Queensland (Day et al. 1995).

As Aphanocapsa elachista var. planctonica G.M.Smith
Europe: Spain (Alvarez-Cobelas & Gallardo 1988).

As Microcystis pulverea f. conferta (West & G.S.West) Elenkin)
Europe: Romania (Caraus 2002).

As Microcystis elachista (West & G.S.West) Compère
Africa: South Africa (Silva, Basson & Moe 1996). Australia and New Zealand: New Zealand (Cassie 1984).

As Aphanocapsa conferta (West & G.S.West) Komárková-Legnerová & Cronberg
Europe: Spain (Bárbara et al. 2005). North America: Arkansas (Smith 2010). South America: Brazil (Werner 2010). South-west Asia: Israel (Vinogradova et al. 2000). Australia and New Zealand: New Zealand (Broady & Merican 2012).

The algae of Romania., Studii si Cercetari, Universitatea Bacau, Biologie 7, Caraus I., 2002, 1-694

Bibliographic check-list of non-marine algae in Australia., Flora of Australia Supplementary Series 4, Day S.A., Wickham R.P., Entwisle T.J., Tyler P.A., 1995, 1-276

Catalogue of the benthic marine algae of the Indian Ocean., University of California Publications in Botany 79:, Silva P.C., Basson P.W., Moe R.L., 1996, 1-1259

Limnological study of Pir Bukhari (Karsaz) and Manghopir warm springs, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan., Int. J. Phycol. Phycochem. 1(2):, Leghari S.M., Khuhawar M.Y., Jahangir T.M., Leghari A., 2005, 151-158

Inventaire national du Patrimoine naturel., Website. Paris: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle., Anon., 2012,

Catálogo de las algas continentales españolas V. Cyanophyceae Schaffner 1909., Acta Botanica Malacitana 13:, Alvarez-Cobelas M., Gallardo T., 1988, 53-76

Cyanophyceae. In: Catálogo de plantas e fungos do Brasil. Vol. 1., (Forzza, R.C. Eds). Rio de Janeiro: Andrea Jakobsson Estúdio; Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro., Werner V.R., 2010, 356-366

Checklist of the benthic marine and brackish Galician algae (NW Spain)., Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid 62:, Bárbara I., Cremades J., Calvo S., López-Rodríguez M.C., Dosil J., 2005, 69-100

Study of algal flora in Zayanderood river., Iranian Journal of Biology 14:, Afsharzadeh S., Nejadsatari T., Rahiminejad M.R., Ebrahimnejad M., 2003, 32-45.

Algae of Romania. A distributional checklist of actual algae. Version 2.3 third revision., Bacau: Univ. Bacau., Caraus I., 2012,

Phylum Cyanobacteria: blue-green bacteria, blue-green algae. In: New Zealand inventory of biodiversity., Volume Three. Kingdoms Bacteria, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi. (Gordon, D.P. Eds), Christchurch: Canterbury University Press., Broady P.A., Merican F., 2012, 50-69

Census of the Queensland Flora., Brisbane: Queensland Herbarium Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences, Department of Environment and Resource Management., Bostock P.D., Holland A.E., 2010, 1-320

A coded list of freshwater algae of the British Isles. Second Edition., World-wide Web electronic publication, Whitton B.A., John D.M., Kelly M.G., Haworth E.Y., 2003,

A check list of the freshwater algal flora of Sierra Leone, Tropical West Africa. I. Cyanophyceae to Conjugatophyceae (exclusive of Bacillariophyceae)., Biodiversity Journal 2(3):, Alfinito S., 2011, 121-144

Cyanoprocaryota. In: Biodiversity of cyanoprocaryotes, algae and fungi of Israel. Cyanoprocaryotes and algae of continental Israel., Nevo E., Wasser S.P. Eds Ruggell: A.R.A. Gantner Verlag K.-G., Vinogradova O.M., Wasser S.P., Nevo E., 2000, 32 - 141

Checklisten und Gefährdungsgrade der Algen des Landes Brandenburg I. Einleitender Überblick, Checklisten und Gefährdungsgrade der Cyanobacteria/Cyanophyta, Rhodophyta und Phaeophyceae/Fucophyceae., Verhandlungen des Botanischen Vereins von Berlin und Brandenburg 144:, Täuscher L., 2011, 177 - 192

A catalogue of the marine benthic algae of the Sisargas Islands (N.W. Iberian Peninsula, Spain)., Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal Suppl. no. 5:, Veiga A.J., Cremades J., Bärbara I., 1998, 481-493.

The algae of Connecticut., Bulletin State of Connecticut State Geological and Naural History Survey 42:, Hylander C.J., 1928, 1-245.

Revised checklist of the freshwater algae of New Zealand (excluding diatoms and charophytes). Part I., Water & Soil Technical Publication 25:, Cassie V., 1984, 1 - 116

Checklist of Baltic Sea Phytoplankton Species. Baltic Sea Environment Proceedings No. 95, Helsinki Commission Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, Hällfors G., 2004,

Süßwasserflora von Mitteleuropa / Freshwater Flora of Central Europe. 19/1. Cyanoprokaryota. 1. Teil/Part 1: Chroococcales., Spektrum Akademischer Verlag., Komarek J., Anagnostidis K., 2008, 548

The freshwater algae of China. Systematics, taxonomy and ecology, China: www.sciencep.com., Hu H., Wei Y., 2006, 1-1023

A checklist of the algae of Singapore., Singapore: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore., Pham M.N., Tan H.T.W., Mitrovic S.e Yeo H.H.T., 2011, 1-100.

Revised list of algae from Arkansas, U.S.A. and new additions., International Journal on Algae 12(3):, Smith T.E., 2010, 230-256

Taxonomie des Phytoplanktons einiger Seen in Uppland, Schweden., Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses 9(3):, Skuja A., 1948, 1-399.