When viewed in the water the filaments look a yellow - green colour, and like Spirogyra are slimy to the touch. I have been unable to observe the reproduction of this alga because it does not appear to occur quite has frequently as in Spirogyra . Asexual reproduction is by the formation of what are called akinetes and usually only occurs when conditions have deteriorated. An akinete is like a spore and has a very thick wall for protection. The sexual material of any two cells does not come into contact.
Sexual reproduction happens when the going starts to get tough.
Two filaments lie side by side and a conjugation tube will start to grow from one filament towards the other. The genetic material from both plants start to move towards the centre of the tube where they fuse together and form a zygospore. This zygospore will then sink to the bottom of the pond and await favourable conditions. Two types of conjugation occur scalariform and lateral. Vegetative reproduction is where the filaments fragment and divide into new cells and this usually happens when there is an abundance of chemicals that the plant can use.