Effect of grazing by a neotropical copepod, Notodiaptomus, on a natural cyanobacterial assemblage and on toxic and non-toxic cyanobacterial strains

The neotropical, freshwater copepod Notodiaptomus iheringi decreased the growth of small colonies in cyanobacteria-dominated plankton, indicating that they can be efficiently ingested and that they may represent an important food source for this copepod in reservoirs dominated by cyanobacteria. Cultured, colonial, toxic Microcystis aeruginosa was not affected, indicating that toxicity may cause a decrease in its ingestion by N. iheringi.