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Changes in life cycle parameters (survival, growth, reproduction) and feeding rate of the tropical cladoceran Ceriodaphnia silvestrii as affected by Cu contaminated algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were investigated. The dietary copper exposure ranged from 3 × 10-15 to 68 g 10-15 g Cu algal cell-1. Low waterborne copper exposure (around 10-10 mol l-1 free Cu2+ ions) was kept in the experiments. The results show an increasing toxic effect on C. silvestrii with copper increase in algal cells; at the highest copper exposure, all life cycle parameters were significantly affected. A concentration of 38 × 10-15 g Cu algal cell-1 reduced egg hatching percentile and the number of neonates produced per female, but did not cause any statistically significant effect on animals survival nor to the number of eggs produced per female. The following sequence of events was observed from the lowest to the highest copper contamination: reproduction, feeding rate, body length and, at last, survival was affected. We conclude that algal cells are an important route of copper exposure and toxicity to cladocerans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]