In 2011, the planktonic alga Dictyosphaerium pulchellum was transferred to the newly created genus Mucidosphaerium by Bock, Proschold & Krienitz and named Mucidosphaerium pulchellum.

I find Mucidosphaerium pulchellum very frequently in plankton samples. Sometimes mass developments also occur in my sampling sites. Mucidosphaerium pulchellum can easily be recognized by the shape of the young and old cells. Old cells are always spherical, while the young ones are obovoid or even spindle-shaped shortly after division. This distinguishes Mucidosphaerium pulchellum from the similar species Dictyosphaerium ehrenbergianum, where the old cells are broadly oval.

The cells of Mucidosphaerium pulchellum are connected to each other by gelatinous stalks. These are not round tubes but flat bands. This is why the stalks appear much thinner when viewed from the side. They are formed by the mucilage of the mother cell wall. Each mother cell gives rise to 4 gelatinous stalks, which leads to the branched structure of the colonies.