In order to compare the chronic toxicity of pollutants to organisms in an aquatic environment under different food densities, the cladoceran Moina macrocopa was used as test animal to investigate the effects of Hg²⁺ concentrations (0, 0.4, 1.1, 1.8, 2.5, 3.2 and 3.9 µg · L⁻¹) on its life table demography under low (0.5 x 10⁶ cells · mL⁻¹), medium (1.0 x 10⁶ cells · mL⁻¹) and high (2.0 x 10⁶ cells · mL⁻¹) densities of Scenedesmus obliquus. The results showed that at low and high food levels, certain concentrations of Hg²⁺ had inhibitory effects on survival, reproduction and population growth of M. macrocopa. However, at the medium food level, the inhibitory effects disappeared. Compared with the control, at the low food level, Hg²⁺ at 0.4-2.5 and 3.9 µg · L⁻¹ significantly decreased the life expectancy at hatching, Hg²⁺ at 0.4, 1.1, 2.5 and 3.9 µg · L⁻¹ decreased the generation time, Hg²⁺ at 1.1, 2.5 and 3.9 µg · L⁻¹ decreased the net reproduction rate, and Hg²⁺ at 3.9 µg · L⁻¹ decreased the gross reproduction rate of M. macrocopa. At the high food level, Hg²⁺ at 1.1 µg · L⁻¹ decreased the intrinsic rate of population increase, and Hg²⁺ at 3.9 µg · L⁻¹ decreased the life expectancy at hatching and the net reproduction rate of M. macrocopa. However, at the medium food level, Hg²⁺ at 3.2 µg · L⁻¹ increased the life expectancy at hatching of M. macrocopa. When S. obliquus density was 0.5 x 10⁶ cells · mL⁻¹, there were significant dose-effect relationships between Hg²⁺ concentration and the life expectancy at hatching, the generation time as well as the cross reproduction rate of M. macrocopa. However, when S. obliquus density was 1.0 x 10⁶ or 2.0 x 10⁶ cells · mL⁻¹, there were no any significant dose-effect relationships between Hg²⁺ concentration and each of the life table demographic parameters of M. macrocopa.