Acute and chronic toxicity tests of a saltwater cladoceran Moina monogolica Daday exposed to cadmium were conducted according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) guidelines. The 24- and 48-h LC50s and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated as 9.59 (8.91–10.26) and 1.87 (1.46–2.32) mg Cd/l, respectively, based on measured cadmium concentrations. When compared with different phyla or classes of saltwater animals, M. monogolica had moderate sensitivity and was suitable to be used as an indicator organism. Eight end points used to evaluate chronic effects were affected at chronic cadmium concentrations. Test organisms ceased to reproduce when exposed to equal to or greater than 308.10 μg Cd/l. Comparisons of chronic effects showed that mechanisms of metal accumulation patterns M. monogolica exposed to cadmium are different from those of dissolved copper exposure. The point estimates using linear regression equations of net reproductive rate generated the maximum-acceptable-toxicant concentration of 1.78 μg Cd/l, the lowest-observed-effect concentration of 3.01 μg Cd/l and the no-observed-effect concentration of 1.11 μg Cd/l. Comparisons among thresholds, cadmium concentrations in natural aquatic systems and water quality criteria showed that aquatic organisms were possibly negatively affected at some sites of higher cadmium concentrations. Further research is needed to focus on risk assessment of cadmium on saltwater aquatic organisms and water quality criteria development of China.