All known species are marine. They can be single-celled (coccoid or flagellate), palmelloid or filamentous. Some members (Pelagomonas) belong to picoplankton, and some other (Sarcinochrysis) are macroscopic attached organisms.[3]
The class contains 13 genera, three families and two orders (2017):[4][5]
^ abWetherbee R.; Gornik S. G.; Grant B.; Waller R. F. (2015). "Andersenia, a genus of filamentous, sand-dwelling Pelagophyceae from southeastern Australia". Phycologia. 54 (1): 35–48. Bibcode:2015Phyco..54...35W. doi:10.2216/14-107.1.
^Han, K.; Graf, L.; Reyes, C. P.; Melkonian, B.; Andersen, R. A.; Yoon, H. S.; Melkonian, M. (2018). "A Re-investigation of Sarcinochrysis marina (Sarcinochrysidales, Pelagophyceae) from its Type Locality and the Descriptions of Arachnochrysis, Pelagospilus, Sargassococcus and Sungminbooa genera nov". Protist. 169 (1): 79–10. doi:10.1016/j.protis.2017.12.004.