Nineteen traditional Anabaena morphospecies were found in freshwater habitats in Cuba. Their taxonomic identification is discussed and variation in natural populations described. Seven species are known only from tropical countries (A. ambigua, A. fuellebornii, A. iyengarii, A. oblonga, A. orientalis, A. recta, A. volzii), four from tropical America (A. manguinii, A. portoricensis, A. torques-reginae, A. unispora), one was originally described from southern Africa (A. austro-africana) and one from central Asia (A. turkestanica). Two taxa are recognized as new species (A. hatueyi, A. jeejiae) and two remain unidentified (Anabaena spp.) because of a shortage of material. Only two species, A. cf. reniformis and A. cf. bornetiana, may occur also in the temperate zone (Europe or North America) and as special morphotypes in Cuba.